Thunderous Maturation: Bloom in the Valley
by Unlimited Depths
Summary: Ash is many things. Hero, Champion, Mentor, and Student to name but a few. Ash has grown through his journeys and is on the cusp of maturity. Now, as he heads off on his next adventure to Sinnoh, he is faced with a choice. What type of Pokémon Master will Ash become?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Two teenaged boys meandered through the woods together, heading home. The late afternoon sun warmed the tops of the leafy trees, the rough dirt path winding through the tree trunks. A Pikachu sat on the shoulder of one of the boys. An Eevee darted ahead, exploring, while still keeping an eye on the group. Next to the other boy, an Umbreon strolled.

The boy with the Pikachu kept his black hair under a Pokémon League hat. He had a large backpack, with a bed roll tied to the bottom and a pan hanging from the side. His blue pullover vest jacket was tucked into the top of his backpack, leaving him in a tight black tee-shirt, fingerless gloves, and jeans.

Next to him, the other teenager wore a white doctors coat, recently earned and blinding in its cleanliness. Underneath, he wore a black polo shirt and blue jeans. A purple pendent hung from a neckless. The teen did nothing to tame his spiky brown hair.

The teen wearing the hat glanced over to his companion. "Gary, when did you get fully accredited as a Pokémon Professor?"

Gary Oak, the brown haired teen, blinked. "I thought I told you when I defended my thesis. Did I forget?"

Ash Ketchum nodded as Pikachu looked over as well. "Yeah, I had no clue. Congratulations. What was your thesis on?"

The young scientist straightened up as he smiled. "I have been studying fossil Pokémon over on Sayda Island. It seems like these Pokémon went extinct ages ago, but there was no clear reason why. I spent time investigating what happened to cause these Pokémon, and potentially other yet undiscovered Pokémon, to be replaced by modern Pokémon."

The crack of a twig under Ash's foot echoed as Gary fell silent. After a moment, Eevee bounded back to trot next to Ash, Gary finally continued. "My thesis was that the climate changed just enough, for long enough, that these Pokémon were not able to survive and were replaced."

"Are you going to continue looking into Fossil Pokémon?"

The budding scientist shrugged. "I am not sure. Sinnoh has a lot of rare Pokémon and it may be more interesting to work in conjunction with Professor Rowen on Pokémon Evolution. Though, I do want to leave my mark on the study of Pokémon, so I am not sure."

Ash's grin broadened as he chuckled. "I know exactly how you feel. I could become the best competitive battler around, but I don't know if that is the legacy I want to live."

"By the way, congratulations on beating the Battle Frontier Ashy-boy."

"Thanks. Hey, have you been keeping up on training your Pokémon?"

"Some. My focus is on my research. Though I have taken some time to train, it has been a secondary concern. What about you, how has your studying been going?"

"Well, I read a number of books while in Hoenn. I really enjoyed the one from your grandfather and one by the professor who teaches battle judges," Ash paused before continuing. "Actually, I think I have a fairly good intellectual background around Pokémon battling."

"Do you disagree with any of it?"

After Gary's question, silence reigned between the two of them. Occasionally, one of the teens would step on a twig or leaf, but neither said anything.

Finally, Ash spoke again. "Honestly? Yes. There are things in the books I don't agree with. Mostly I have issues with Professor Rowen. He argues that Pokémon get stronger mainly by evolving and a fully evolved Pokémon will be stronger than one that has not evolved. Pikachu here and several of my other Pokémon prove otherwise."

"What about the others?"

"Professor Serena's 'The Rules of Battle' was interesting, it helped me understand how battles are judged." Ash said with a shrug. "The others, on breeding by Professor Elm, Pokémon habitats by Professor Birch, and Professor Sequoia's on Pokémon abilities were informative but not really practical in a battle."

Gary nodded slowly. "I can see that. For you, it doesn't matter how a Pokémon knows a move, only if the Pokémon knows the move or not. It doesn't matter if a Pokémon is rare in a location or not, instead the focus is on deciding to catch them and treating the Pokémon well. It doesn't matter what ability your Pokémon has, only how they work with you."

"Exactly. Professor Oak's book on communication was amazing. There was enough practical explanation I could use to make something for myself."

"I understand there are books written by Elite Four Members and Champions. Have you read any of those?"

"No, I just finished up the last book I have after beating Brandon. I haven't really looked either, all the books I have were recommended to me."

"Old Man Tuckson has a bookstore. I could help you pick a couple of books before heading to Sinnoh."

"I would appreciate it Gary. Hey, want t have a match tomorrow? I would like to see how your battle skills have held up."

"Sure thing Ashy-boy." There was a pause. "Have you considered writing a book yourself?"

"Nope, I don't know what I would say. Maybe I should try though."

As the two lapsed back into a comfortable silence, they crested a ridge and looked down on a sleepy little town. Fields dotted the outskirts of the village, small houses visible here and there. Pallet Town, home.

Gary sighed and slapped Ash's shoulder. "I have to head over to Gramps place. Smell you later Ashy-boy."

He started to walk away from his old friend, Ash's parting comment following him. "Thanks Gary. See you tomorrow."

Ash mirrored his childhood friend and headed home, Eevee following dutifully.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The flowers of Delia's garden seemed to hang a little towards the setting sun, droplets of water dripping from the leaves. A Mr. Mime, his yellow apron tied securely on, held his watering can as he inspected the various plants. He had joined the family a couple years ago after leaving a circus. The freedom of helping around the house for a caring woman like Delia was amazing.

Occasionally, the psychic type Pokémon would add a bit more water to a flower. With the setting sun, the flowers were fading a little for the night. Tomorrow the tender care would see the plants perk right up again.

Mimey looked up and waived. "Mime Mime!"

Walking up the red brick path, Ash waived back. "Hey there Mimey, how are you doing?"

"Mime Mister Mime!" The pale white Pokémon responded, red circles on his cheeks and pointy purple hair sticking out to the sides.

"I am glad to hear it." Ash replied. "The garden looks great by the way."

Eevee looked between her trainer and the new Pokémon while Pikachu nodded his agreement. "Pika!"

Ash chuckled. "That's right. Do you need any help Mimey?"

Before Mr. Mime could respond, the front door of the small two story house swung open. Standing there was a woman, her brown hair pulled back into a flowing pony tail. A moment later, she was grabbing the teenager, her arms around his neck. The tight hug was quickly returned.

"Hi Mom, I am home."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That evening, after the meal was eaten and cleaned up, Ash and his Mom sat in the living room. The teen put his cap on the coffee table and pulled his jacket back on. Delia was listening intently as Ash told her about traveling through Kanto for the second time. He was getting near the end of the story, recounting his experiences after beating the Salon Maiden.

Finally, Delia interrupted. "That Anabel girl, she sounds nice. Did she decide to stay at the Battle Tower?"

"For now," Ash said. "I get the sense she will stick around the Battle Frontier for a while. It seems she is happy there and enjoys helping the trainers who end up making it that far."

"That is too bad. It sounds like you enjoyed traveling with her."

"I did, she is a wonderful trainer. It was a bit like traveling with Misty. We were kinda in similar situations and there was a lot to talk about."

"What about your other friends?"

"Well, Max is headed home to Hoenn, he wants to go back to school for a year or so before going on his journey. Brock returned to Pewter City to check in on his family. He hasn't decided what he wants to do next, but he still wants to be a Pokémon Breeder," Ash said. "May is heading to Johto. Apparently there are contests there now. She wanted to travel with a group of Coordinators and see what she can do by herself."

"That sounds nice," Delia said as she stirred her tea. "I am glad your friends all seem to have goals to work towards."

"Me too, I mean, I feel a bit lost without traveling companions, but I like that they are happy."

"Tell me a bit more about May."

"I taught her a lot about the battling side of being a trainer or coordinator in her case. And a lot about training Pokémon. Her biggest issue is every so often she focuses on one Pokémon over all the others. Still, I think she is on a good path and I believe she will become a top coordinator soon."

"Do you miss traveling with Misty?"

Ash narrowed his eyes at his Mom. Clearly, she was looking for something, but Ash was not sure exactly what she was interested in. "Yes and no. Misty is a great friend. I write to her at every major city and call her every once in a while. She pushed me at the start of my journey's to grow up. It would be fun to travel with her again, but I got to travel with some other great people too."

Ash paused. "Brock is the same. I enjoy learning from him, he has a practical head on his shoulders. He helps me remember the necessities of traveling. But when I traveled with Tracy instead, I got to see a different perspective. I would love to travel with them again and I would love to travel with other people."

"It would be nice to have you home for a longer period of time."

I thought about joining the Battle Frontier as a Frontier Brain. I could have headed up a facility and made myself comfortable. I turned it down because I still want to see what is over the next hill."

Delia sipped from her slightly steaming tea. "You got your wanderlust from your father. Have you talked with Professor Oak about your next destination?"

"No," Ash shook his head. "I just decided to continue traveling today. I mean I thought I wanted to travel more, but I took the time to day to think through it."

His mom stood up, with a free hand she ruffled his hair. "I am proud of you. Get some rest, from what you told me, tomorrow will be a long day."

"Thanks Mom. It is good to be home again."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The light of the red dawn climbed the wall of the Ketchum residence. Slowly, the soft light illuminated a larger than normal Pokéball. In his sleep, Ash's hand reached out and grasped the Pokéball and threw it against the far wall. The device hit a corner and smashed open.

A Pidgey on a spring listed out as the clock face was exposed. Other springs and screws popped out as well.

Pikachu leapt into full awareness at the noise of the clock breaking. Sparks flashed for the red cheeks of the electric type, tail and ears quivering in the air.

"Chuu." Pikachu growled, looking for the source of the disturbance.

Eevee poked her head over the edge of the bed, blinking blearily. "Vee?"

The older Pokémon glanced at the not-quite-awake young Pokémon and shifted, his tail slapping Ash in the face. The teen blinked and sat up. "What is it Pikachu?" He mumbled.

The electric type continued to look around the room, ears twitching seeking the follow up sound to the earlier crash. "Chuu pika Pika pi."

Ash stretched and yawned. "Alright, I am up. There was a noise?"

"Piii."

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around. "Well, I guess it might be a ghost type. Though I don't think whatever caused the noise means us harm or something else would have happened by now."

Pikachu sat back, willing to go along with his trainer though his eyes were still darting around.

Ash slide his legs out to the side and grabbed a pair of pants to start pulling them on. Still blinking awake, he stumbled towards the door. "Well, it seems like we are up early. Let's make breakfast for Mom."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash may not be the best cook, but after traveling with Brock for so long, he had picked up a few recipes. A simple meal of fruit, yogurt, and granola was easy to whip up and prepare.

Delia was surprised her son was both awake and able to create a meal, even if there was limited cooking and the meal was fairly simple.

As soon as it was a polite time to visit, Ash and his Mom headed to Professor Oak's laboratory. Ash would have left right after breakfast, but Delia insisted they wait as the Professor had Pokémon to take care of first thing in the morning.

The laboratory was in a converted barn; behind the building, there were large enclosures for various Pokémon to run and play. Three flying Pokémon soared closer to the two humans and circled them.

"Pidgeot, Noctowl, Swellow!" Ash waived to his Pokémon.

Darting along the fencing, an Aipom leapt over and landed on Ash's unoccupied shoulder. A Ghastly faded into view between Ash and his Mom while chortling. Bayleef and Bulbasaur waived their vines in greeting from a nearby hill.

Snorelax shifted in his sleep as he lay against the Laboratory wall, ears twitching. Donphan rolled over to the fence before uncurling and trumpeting a greeting as Torkoal snorted a light grey smoke.

Behind the other Pokémon, six Tauros stampeded around. Miltank trotted passively behind the energetic group. Primeape paused his morning exercise routine of punching a tree to watch his trainer approach. Lapras, Totodile, Squirtle, and Corphsih all cheered from a nearby pond. Kingler, his massive pincher grasping a hollow tree that he was dragging out of the pond waived his free pincher.

Muk surged through the fence to hug his trainer while Quilava loped up to the fence. Absol perched carefully on a nearby boulder watching as her trainer made his way past the gleeful Muk.

A human ran in from a further field, skidding to a stop in front of Ash and Delia.

"I was wondering why all your Pokémon were acting up." The teen boy panted, a bandana covering his hair.

"Hey Tracey," Ash replied. "How have things been going?"

"Pretty good." He put his hands on his hips as he took a couple of deep breaths. "After Gary got back last night, everyone of your Pokémon expected you to stop by. I think they were surprised when you didn't."

"I wanted to see Mom." Ash explained gesturing to Delia.

Tracey turned his head slightly and pink rose in his cheeks. "Sorry about that Mrs. Ketchum. I didn't notice you, it is good to see you again."

"It is not a problem. Have you been able to sketch any Pokémon recently?"

"The Professor has ben real busy lately, so I have picked up some of the chores. It means I haven't had much time, but I started sketching Glaile. It should be done soon." Tracey said.

Delia smiled warmly at him, slightly tilting her head. "Well, let me know when you finish and I will frame this one too."

"I promise."

Ash looked between them. "Too?" He asked, confused.

Delia laughed lightly, hand raising to her face. "I forgot to mention it didn't I?"

"Mention what?" Ash asked.

"Tracey has been sketching your Pokémon for me. I have framed most of them and put them in my room. It reminds me you are in good company and makes me feel better when you are gone." Delia said.

"Pika pi, pikachu chu pika."

"Good idea buddy, Tracey, could you sketch Pikachu while we are here?" Ash trailed off.

The other teen nodded, his bandana slipping a little. "Sure, if we can make some time before you have to leave. It will be a lot of fun to get Pikachu drawn."

Tracey glanced up towards the laboratory. "Come on in, the Professor is waiting to hear from you and Gary is ready for your match at any time."

Ash nodded before leaning down to pick up Eevee. He passed her over the fence to Tracey. "Alright all of you, back into the ranch. I will be out to play with you all in a bit."

Grumpily the various Pokémon, including Pikachu and Aipom, returned to the field and headed towards Lapras' lake. After all, it would be good to hear the gossip straight from each other rather than through Ash.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Professor Oak carried a tray of tea into his sitting room as Delia and Ash entered.

"Hello there. I am glad you two could make it this morning. Gary is looking forward to your battle and I can't wait to see how you have grown." The Professor said.

"It is good to be home Professor. I am sure you are proud of Gary for reaching his professorship already." Ash replied as his Mom moved to sit down on one of the plump couches.

"I am. I am indeed. He should be down in a moment and Tracey should be in soon as well."

"Is something going on?" Ash asked.

"Well now, that depends, doesn't it?" A voice asked.

Ash turned. Off near the side door stood a rather rotund man. His blue flower shirt and dark sunglasses made his light brown hair stand out. "Hey there, Ash. Good to see you again."

"Mom, this is Scott. He is the agent who recruits Frontier Brains and their Challengers. Scott, this is my Mom." Ash said.

"Good to meet you, Mrs. Ketchum. Your son is quite a competitive battler. And Ash, while I am focusing on the Battle Frontier, I have other endeavors and connections. In fact, that is why I am here. I have a different offer for you, one the Professor thought you should hear with the support of family and friends."

Ash nodded at Scott's declaration. "I should get Pikachu then."

"Oh?" Scott asked.

"Pikachu is my starter. I consider all of my Pokémon family, but Pikachu is more than that." Ash said as he walked through the living room to an open window facing the ranch. "Hey Pikachu, could you come here?" Ash called out.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A few moments later and the three teen boys, Pikachu, the Professor, Mrs. Ketchum, and Scott were all seated around the table. Each held a steaming cup of tea, the floral scent wafted around the room. Even Pikachu had a small cup of tea, his small nose twitching as he enjoyed the smell.

Scott set his tea on the table. "You all know me in my role as Agent for the Battle Frontier. Ash knows more, I am the owner of the challenge. Because of this, I am in contact with a lot of people, including Charles Goodshow of the Pokémon League."

He paused, trying to think of what to say next. "Ash, you have impressed a lot of people. Charles thinks you could take over as Champion for Kanto or Johto already. Lance thinks you are good, but perhaps not quite that good yet. Steven was disappointed you did not exercise your championship challenge rights to take on the Hoenn Elite Four. He thought you could take one of those positions easily."

Scott looked at the stunned young trainer. "I offered you the position of Frontier Brain for the same reason. We hear a lot of things, some true, others not. You apparently have helped save the world a number of times. You have a lot of people on your side. While your skills may not quite be at the highest level, soon enough you will be too good to be merely a wandering trainer."

"The offer is this," Scott said, finally getting to the point. "A license to carry twelve Pokémon and your choice of a probationary period as a traveling Frontier Brain or as a Pokémon Ranger."

"I don't understand." Ash admitted freely to the older man, the cup of tea cooling in the teen's hand.

Scott sighed. "Ash, you are strong and, more importantly, you have a good heart. We want you to travel to whatever region you want and to continue your journey. We want to see your Pokémon grow stronger with you. At the end of the next league, you are going to get a number of job offers. Our goal with this offer is to increase the amount of responsibility you have on your journey. We will see what happens afterwards."

Ash looked down at Pikachu, seeing his starter's ears perk up. Ash's hands clenched around the tea cup. The teen's mouth opened and closed without a sound.

Gary leaned forward, but did not speak. It was not his pace. His Grandfather had no such reservations. "Ash is talented, yes, but the Pokémon Ranger's can be asked to deal with some extremely dangerous situations. Why are you trying to put a teenager into life threatening circumstances?"

"He would only get the Ranger's responsibilities if he chooses that path. As for why, he has saved the world more than once. He already gets into dangerous situations, we just want to give him more support and authority." Scott argued.

Delia put her hand on her son's shoulder. "No matter what you chose, I am proud of you. I just want you to be happy."

Ash stood up, his mother's hand brushed away. Head down, the brim of his hat covering his eyes. Ash started to stride away. His voice quivered as he spoke. "I need a couple of minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ash stood with his back to the door of the Professor's Ranch. He pulled the brim of his hat low as he raised his face to the sky. He knew Pikachu was right next to him and could hear the thumping sound of his other Pokémon rushing up to see him.

Scott's offer was something Ash never though could happen. He was only fifteen years old. So many other trainers were out there. People like Harrison and Tyson had years more experience and knowledge. Why were they not given this chance? Why was Ash so special? Why were these high profile figures interested in him and his Pokémon?

Those other trainers must be better choices. Ash knew he was good, of course, but even he knew that giving such prestige and responsibility to a teenager was a bad idea. Even most gym leaders were in there twenties. Sure, Misty, Bugsy, and some of the others were young, but they had deep connections to the gyms they ran.

He had more questions than answers.

"I want to be a Pokémon Master." His voice croaked, barely loud enough for his starter to hear. This was his truth, his answer.

He shook his head, pushing forward and into the crowd of his Pokémon. He started to smile as his hands ran from the hard shells of Kingler and Corphish to the fur of Snorlax and Absol. Each of his Pokémon came up and crowded around the teen.

Ash's smile grew. Before Ash could lose himself in enjoying the time with his Pokémon, he heard Gary call out to him. "You owe me a battle Ashy-boy."

Ash turned. "I am ready when you are. Three on three?"

"Would love to, but I only have one Pokémon with me at the moment."

"We are at the Ranch, aren't your Pokémon here?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. Anyway, I choose Umbreon."

The Dark Type evolution of Eevee prowled forward from around Gary's legs. Ash nodded, he glanced around at his gathered Pokémon. Some would be stronger and others would be weaker on the basis of Type against Gary's Umbreon. But choosing based on Type was not the point of this confrontation.

Instead, this battle was about proving to himself he was able to continue to grow against his first rival. Ghastly would be an interesting choice, but the Ghost Type was not prepared to face this particular adversary. The same was true about Eevee. Ash smiled as his eyes fell upon one of his Fire Types.

"I choose Quilava."

The Johto Fire type bounded forward and sat next to Ash's leg. Ash crouched down and rubbed Quilava's head, "You will do great. Remember Extrasensory won't do any damage and you will need to control your fire. I don't want to burn down the Ranch."

"Quil."

"Good. Gary will be expecting speed. Let's let him come to us. Sound good?"

"Lava." The Fire type nodded sharply.

"Alright, go on." Ash said as he stood up, Quilava loped forward to stand in the makeshift battlefield.

Gary narrowed his eyes, "Umbreon, try to keep things close. Start with Bite."

The black Pokémon, with yellow rings of fur, leapt forward and charged at the waiting Pokémon. From a dead stop, the tan and blue Quilava disappeared, striking with a vicious Aerial Ace to the side of Umbreon.

Umbreon rolled and came up in position, ready to fight back. "Use Shadow Ball!" Gary commanded.

In front of the Dark Type's mouth, energy started to be collected. Shades of purple cracked in the air before being launched at Ash's Pokémon. Quilava responded by leaping in the air and sending cascading fire at Umbreon.

Umbreon had to leap out of the way, slightly singed, to avoid most of the damage.

Before Gary could call out another order, Ash spoke. "Get close and use Brick Break!"

Quilava nodded, letting the Flamethrower die out. The Johto evolved starter advanced on Umbreon. Now Gary wanted his Pokémon to keep her distance. "Umbreon, Dark Pulse."

Umbreon planted her feet and barked. A ring of pure Dark Type energy flew towards the oncoming Fire Type. It seemed as though light was absorbed into the attack as it passed. Quilava darted to the side, allowing the attack to pass by her. Methodically, Quilava closed the distance.

Dark Pulses and Shadow Balls continued to make it difficult to advance, but there was enough time between each attack for Quilava to continue her advance.

Suddenly, the Fire Type growled and leapt forward, taking a Shadow Ball directly to the chest. As Quilava came towards landing, her right forepaw glowed white. The paw seemed to curl and with the momentum of a fall, slammed right into the head of Umbreon.

The Dark Type staggered back before collapsing. "Quilava, come back." Ash called out before his Pokémon could follow up on her attack.

"Gary, I think that is match."

Gary nodded as he moved to kneel by the slightly stunned Umbreon. "I agree. I have not kept up my training enough. Sorry Umbreon."

Ash ruffled Quilava's head. "Good job, you were wonderful."

"Lava!"

"You have grown a lot Ash. I can see why Scott made the offer to you. The training you have done has paid off."

"Thanks Gary. Your Umbreon looked pretty good for not focusing on battles."

"You flatter me Ashy-boy." Gary extended a hand to his old friend and rival.

Ash grabbed it firmly. "You still have the skills as a trainer. Spending all of your time as a researcher has not hindered you too much."

"They will want an answer today."

"I don't have one for them."

"I know. Look, have you talked with Tracey or Grandpa about the work it takes to care for a Ranch full of Pokémon?"

"I never felt the need. Tracey mentioned the challenges before. In fact, some of those inter-Pokémon challenges are why Bulbasaur stays here. He tries to help keep the peace. Also, Since Johto, I have basically been traveling with more and more Pokémon. Maybe not twelve of my own, but recently between May, Brock, and myself, we were caring for a lot of Pokémon."

Ash sighed. "Taking care of that many Pokémon is hard. Don't get me wrong, but the wonders you get to experience with them is worth it."

"I know. I have been helping with a research lab, there are a lot of Pokémon to take care of and to feed." Gary shook his head. "I don't think I would take the offer."

"Carrying enough food is difficult, heavy but not impossible." Ash smiled. "I think I could find a way to handle supplies. The biggest challenge would be feeding Snorlax. I mean some like Pikachu and Aipom just need a berry every once in a while."

The hat wearing teen looked out towards his Pokémon, they were all playing around in the field near the two boys. "My concern is less about supplies and more about my skills. I am not at the level of a Ranger or a Frontier Brain."

"Are you sure about that? In combat, I would say you are among the best trainers in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh." Gary stated confidently. "In fact, you are probably right. You are not at the level of a Ranger or Frontier Brain, you are better then a majority of them."

Ash looked Gary in the eyes, seeking to see if he could sense the truth. Instead of the confident face Ash normally presented the world, there was only a young teenager confused about his place in the world. The individual who would tell strangers his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master let his friend see the young man terrified of never reaching those lofty heights. Gary had no idea how to respond to the look. To Gary, Ash was the stronger of the two in the clarity of his dreams.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked. "I mean, I don't even know what it means to be a Pokémon Master."

There was a chuckle from behind them as the elder Professor Oak walked up to them. "It sounds to me like a lot of self-doubt. Ash, don't worry to much about what you should be and how you compare to others. These answers are hard to find. In fact, let me tell you one of my most closely guarded secrets."

Ash looked up at the Professor eagerly. Samuel leaned down so he was face to face with the two teens. "I have no idea what I am doing most days. I can honestly and with complete sincerity say I have never known my role in the world."

The two teenagers blinked in surprise. Professor Oak smiled. "The truth is the world is a complicated place. The reason Professors and other researchers exist is to try and make sense of everything. We specialize in a particular area in an effort to understand even just a sliver of the world. We do not know everything."

The Professor paused. "In fact, the best researchers I know would say they have no clue about the truths of the world. They only lay claim to educated guesses."

He placed his hands on the shoulders of the two teenagers. "Now, recognizing this challenge and accepting understanding only a limited amount about our world is a wonderful thing. Embrace the lack of clarity and focus on knowing the right information to succeed in your profession."

"Professor, I think part of my problem is I don't know what I want to be anymore. I mean, I have kind of been thinking about it for a while, but I don't know what I really mean when I say I want to be a Pokémon Master."

"Ash, I am glad you are thinking on this still." Professor Oak replied. "I am going to give you a little bit of advice. People change and goals change. Be flexible in deciding what to do with your life."

"Don't forget Ashy-boy, it took traveling two regions and stumbling across the right project for me to find my career." Gary offered.

The Professor nodded. "I would suggest you take the offer to be a probationary Ranger. You already know what it means to be a Gym Leader or Frontier Brain. Experience something new."

"But how will taking the offer help? Won't it just increase the amount of things I have to do as I try to decide who I want to become?"

Gary shook his head. "Acting as a Ranger will allow you to know if becoming a Ranger is right for you. There is no one way to be a Pokémon Master. If you are not finding the League Challenges to be fulfilling, it can be in trying something new where you find what it means to be Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master."

Ash nodded slowly. "I guess I understand."

"Good, after Scott leaves, we can head to the Book Trade to see if there are any books which might help." Gary suggested.

"A wonderful idea, there is so much in books we never knew existed." Professor Oak said.

Ash took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As he did, Pikachu leapt up onto his shoulder and Eevee came to stand by his feet. Aipom climbed up her trainer to stand on his empty shoulder and the rest of Ash's Pokémon surrounded the three Pallet Town Residents.

A confident grin came across Ash's face. "I think I know what I am going to do next. I am going to Sinnoh. As for Scott's offer, well, I want to think about that a bit more."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash and his Mom returned home for lunch after sending Scott off for the time being, the large man handing Ash a phone number to call when he comes to a decision. The two Ketchum's made salad and sat down together for lunch.

As the meal was finished, Delia smiled as she watched her son. "Are you going to leave soon? For Sinnoh?"

Leaning back in his chair for a moment, putting his silverware down on his plate, Ash thought before he spoke. "Yes, I think I will leave at the end of the week. Gary and I are going to Tuckson's bookstore this afternoon. I also want to make sure I plan and prepare for this trip."

"Oh?"

"Yea, I haven't decided if I am going to take the offer. If I do, I will have the opportunity to take twelve Pokémon with me. I need to figure out how to do that. I want to catch new Pokémon. Taking twelve Pokémon immediately seems like a bad idea."

"Do you have any ideas on which Pokémon you are going to take?"

"Well, Pikachu is going to come. There is no question about that. Other than him? No, I haven't decided. I mean, all of my Pokémon are great. I love them all. If I could, I would take all of them with me."

"That seems like a lot of work."

"Maybe. The bigger problem is they would mostly need to stay in their Pokéballs. I couldn't have all of my Pokémon out at the same time in public. So I need to decide how to approach taking Pokémon with me. Do I bring my powerhouses? Do I bring the ones with almost realized potential? What about the ones that need a bit more time, like those I just hatched? I just don't know."

"Perhaps you should talk with Gary."

Ash nodded and stood up, glancing at the clock. He grabbed his Mom in a big hug. "Love you, Mom. I will be back later!"

"See you soon, honey."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash found Gary sitting by the front door of the Oak Ranch. The other teen had again chosen not to wear his Professors coat. He looked up from a notebook he was writing in as the steady crunch of footsteps from the curated path reached his ears.

"Ashy-boy, you are later than I thought you would be." Gary greeted him.

"I got talking with Mom and then I had some things to think about on my way. Sorry for being late."

"Its fine. I am glad you are thinking so much about this decision."

Ash just nodded as Gary stood up. "Let's get going, I would like to be back in a couple of hours to help my Grandfather out this afternoon."

"What are you doing with the Professor?"

"We are looking over some of my Pokémon. I caught so many during my journeys. Grandfather's research is the Human-Pokémon relationship, he wants to see how my Pokémon react to me after not being around as much as I used to be and not training them as much as in the past."

"What?"

"We are spending time with my Pokémon."

"Sounds like it will be a lot of fun." Ash said. "I want to help my Mom around the house a bit this afternoon. Nice and boring, but it is good to have a break from traveling."

As the two discussed their plans for the rest of the afternoon, they walked into Pallet Town proper. Most of the little town by the sea were homes. It was a calm village to most, with just enough shops to create a mainstreet. A lot of the houses were farms and ranches. Few if any boats could be seen as Pallet town mostly had cliffs overlooking the sea with a few small beaches here and there.

Ash smiled, remembering meeting Lapras on one of those isolated beaches after being separated for the duration of his Johto journey.

The downtown area of Pallet Town was centered on a main street. There were a couple of restaurants, a grocery store, and a farmers market. Most of the long term residents favored the farmers market as it had the best ingredients. A number of the other stores were fabric and clothes boutiques. While some of the residents of Pallet Town could sew, like Ash's Mom, everyone enjoyed being able to pick up a new outfit every once in a while.

Gary lead the way to the bookstore, the Book Trade. It was a small building off to the side of the main row of stores. The Book Trade was well kept. With large windows in the front of the store and several hanging lamps, the store was well lit. To the left and right of the door, tables stood allowing books to be seen from the street. Along the side walls wooden shelves groaned with the weight of rows and rows of books. In the middle of the room were two free standing shelves, both full. Along the back wall was a bar with a register. More books were displayed on top of the bar.

Behind the bar was a door to the storeroom. The staff was apparently in the back as the store was still and silent.

Gary spoke softly in the stillness. "We are going to be looking in that section."

The teen pointed to the right hand side of the store, near the center of the wall. Ash followed as his friend lead the way. A sign caught his eyes as they approached the bookshelves. 'Trainers and their words.'

Stepping between shelves, Ash looked across from the sign to another sign which read: 'The Study of Pokémon.'

"Will you be fine by yourself?" Gary asked.

Ash nodded, "I think so."

"I am going to check out the care and feeding section. Let me know if you have any questions." Gary said as he started to walk away.

With a quick breath, Ash looked at the section on 'The Study of Pokémon.' He closed his eyes, he was a man of action. Reading was not his favorite activity. Ash opened his eyes, becoming a Pokémon Master was the goal and if reading helped, then he would read.

He quickly noticed the section was written primarily by Professors and researchers. Some of the books, Ash recognized because they were newer versions of the books Max had given him.

Each of the Professors had multiple books to their name. Ash's hand reached out and brushed the spines of the books, the slick gloss on the hard paper let his fingers slide along.

Peering closer at the title, Ash saw another of Professor Oak's books called "Taking Time." He pulled a copy off the shelf and glanced at the back. The excerpt was only a sentence. 'Pokémon are amazing creatures, taking the time to understand how they relate to you and other Pokémon can help you grow closer to your Pokémon.'

Ash smiled softly and tucked the book under his arm as he continued to browse. Within a few moments, he picked out a book by Professor Rowen called "The Elements of Evolution" and Professor Elm's book "Care and Potential."

There were other interesting books, including several by Professor Birch on specific types of Pokémon habitats. Ash forced himself to turn around, knowing he would have limited space for the books and he needed to make the space count.

The section of 'Trainers and their words, Ash discovered, was split into three categories. There was a group of books on the training of specific Pokémon Types. For example, Steven Stone had a book, "Pressure and Poise," about training steel type Pokémon. Ash put that book back fairly quickly.

Another category was on the process of training. May and Max's Dad had a book called "A Balancing Act." Ash added that to his pile. A person could learn about another though a Pokémon Battle. Or a person could learn about another through their family. Ash had done both. He felt it was time to learn about Norman from his own words.

Ash also picked up "Grace: Beauty and Strength" by Wallace. Throughout Hoenn, Ash heard rumors Steven Stone was going to step down as Champion and Wallace was a lead candidate to take Steven's place. Wallace was interesting, finding the time to become a top Coordinator, a respected Gym Leader, and potential regional Champion.

The final category of books was simply mysteries. Ash's eyes were drawn to a simple white cover with dark grey words: "On the Legends of Sinnoh" written by Cynthia. Ash added the book to his pile after seeing the excerpt. 'The origins of the world are lost in the mists of the past. It is said Pokémon of mythical powers came to Sinnoh in ages long ago and created the world. This book explores a few of the legendary locations in Sinnoh to help understand the present through the past'

As Ash added this book to his stack, Gary came up to him. "Did you find anything?"

"I did. I think I found exactly what I needed."

Gary looked at the stack of six books. "You are missing something."

"I am? What?"

"Two thing Ashy-boy. First, you need some maps. Otherwise how will you get around Sinnoh?"

Ash blushed. "Well, normally Brock navigates."

Gary rolled his eyes and did not respond directly. "The other thing is we should get you some additional note taking supplies."

"I already have a couple of notebooks, I think I am set."

"Trust me, you will want to see some of the other things out there. You may find something to work better."

He moved behind Ash and pushed him towards the back bar. Off to the side, hidden in the corner were writing supplies. The two boys looked through the notebooks and after a few moments Ash sighed, realizing Gary was right.

"You are a complete jerk."

"Whatever Ashy-boy, Grandpa taught me this before I headed out on my first journey. I am just passing along the wisdom."

In Ash's hand was the empty journal sparking his comment. It was a blank book focused on taking notes about specific Pokémon. Inside, there were rings, allowing for additional pages to be added or rearranged. There were two page layouts. One page was to identify the Pokémon and the moves the Pokémon knew. The other page was lined allowing for notes on the Pokémon.

With a deep breath, Ash put the journal back and picked up the bigger version. He also grabbed a package of additional paper, knowing he was going to need the extra room.

"Alright, let me pay for this." Ash said as he headed for the register. He was content with his purchases. It was now time to really decided about Scott's offer.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun broke through the overcast sky, powerful waves rocking the ship as it steamed towards Sinnoh. Though the weather was less then ideal, two teens from Pallet Town stood at the bow of the ship. Behind them, their Pokémon played. Pikachu, Aipom, and Eevee chased each other around the deck in a game of tag. Umbreon watched the three in curiosity, but remaining apart from the game.

Ash's Mom had handed him a new outfit the night before they left. The new hat was similar to his last one, but with the half Pokéball symbol in blue. His vest had a zipper in front and was a dark blue with a yellow chevron across the front. Underneath, he wore a white tee-shirt. Ash left his backpack in his cabin, though it now had additional necessary items strapped to the side, like a pan and a lantern.

Gary still wore a popped collar polo, today's version was in green. His Professor's coat gave him a distinguished look, even though he was wearing jeans.

"Are you sure you made the right choice?" Gary asked.

"I am," Ash nodded. "It feels right to me."

"But why? I know how good you are and how dedicated you are to training your Pokémon. Why did we leave before you took either offer? How is not taking an offer the right choice?"

"Because I'm fifteen."

"That is no answer, Ash. I doubt it is even your real reason. You may have told your Mom and Grandpa that, but I know better. What is the real reason?"

"It is a part of the reason."

"But not a big part."

"Big enough to be true. Look, I don't feel like either of those jobs are what I should be doing at the moment. It is the same reason I only brought three Pokémon with me. I intend to only train six at a time, unlike the nine I have been doing recently. I do have the ability to train more, but I want to focus on training my Pokémon the best I possibly can."

"What are you talking about? Dedicating time to training would have been part of either offer." Gary raised a finger at Ash. "Don't try to change the subject, I want to know your reason. There is a reason and a good one, I just want to understand. If you don't tell me, I will keep asking."

Ash glared at Gary for a moment before sighing. "I remember every battle I have fought. Some more than others, of course. I remember my wins and especially my losses. I see battles where I won when there is no way I should have stood a chance much less claimed victory. I remember battles I lost when I was clearly better than my opponent. Getting lucky is no basis for giving me preferential treatment."

"Through training you create your own luck. You earned your victories, even if they were unlikely."

"I know, but I should not lose in surprising fashion anymore. I need to be consistently better. To me, taking the offer would have made it worse. I would be distracted by the needs of whichever position I took, instead of dedicating myself to getting to a higher level as a trainer."

"I guess I can see that. I mean, when I was a trainer, I focused on being a trainer. As a Professor and as a researcher, the assigned project is my focus and my Pokémon generally have to take a secondary role. At the same time, I move from project to project fairly frequently and in between assignments I have time with my Pokémon. Wouldn't it be the same for you with these roles? Except both roles encourage you to spend time with your Pokémon."

"Perhaps. At least for now, I don't have regrets and I am confident I made the right decision. In time, I may find I should have followed the advice of Professor Oak, Mom, and you. But for now, I want to explore Sinnoh."

Gary ran his hand through his spiky hair. He took a deep breath, releasing it in a slow exhale. "Honestly, you probably made the right decision about the offers. There is wisdom in knowing your limits. Not taking the offer means you don't have to learn how to face or accept a challenger. It also means you don't have to go on the various missions of a Pokémon Ranger. I still think you should have told Scott to his face though."

"More importantly, I want to be a trainer for a little while longer." Ash said, ignoring Gary's last comment. "There is a freedom in being able to be curious about what is on the other side of the horizon. There is so much of the world I want to see. In different ways, those offers would have tied me to a specific region. But for me, going somewhere new is the most magical and wonderful experience."

"Fair enough. Though, going back to an earlier comment, I am surprised you decided to limit yourself to a standard six Pokémon though. Why not keep it to nine?"

"It is a different type of challenge for me. When you have a lot of Pokémon with you, finding time to train all of them takes up a significant portion of the day. Even taking the time, it means spending a limited amount of time with each Pokémon. Narrowing to specific Pokémon allows me to give them more attention while they are with me."

Ash scuffed his foot on the deck. "Besides, I know taking care of Pokémon is hard. I have barely learned how to groom Pikachu and all of my Pokémon need different types of care. Nurturing six Pokémon at a time is going to be hard."

"Brock must have been a great deal of help then."

"Honestly, I probably let him do too much. He loves taking care of Pokémon and if I could focus only on battles I would. He did teach me a lot about cooking and caring for my Pokémon. But there is so much more to learn. How did you take care of your Pokémon while you traveled?"

"Well, while I was going around Kanto, I was not the best trainer. You know I was arrogant, with the car and the cheerleaders. While I rotated my Pokémon, I didn't create relationships with most of them. They were just tools. So, I trained them for a week or so and then sent them to the Ranch."

Gary seemed to wince as he spoke. "I was better in Johto, I really worked with about a dozen Pokémon consistently. That was when I dedicated time to learn how to take care of my Pokémon. Learning I need to spend time on my Pokémon every day outside of training was a hard lesson."

"I was lucky then. I traveled with Brock since beating him for the Boulder Badge. His goal of being a Pokémon breeder meant he taught Misty and myself about how to nurture Pokémon from day one. I love my Pokémon and if taking care of them makes them happy, I am happy to put the time in to them. Thinking back on Kanto the second time, having nine Pokémon may have been too much for my goals. So I am going to build up to nine."

"Ashy-boy, you have come a long way. I can't wait to see how far you go as a trainer."

"Thanks Gary." Ash said, the two falling into silence.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The two teenagers stood in front of a video phone near the docks, waiting for the call to connect. Before leaving Pallet Town, Delia hugged Ash and whispered that she would appreciate phone calls as often as he was near a phone. She reminded him it was important for him to check in to limit the amount of time she worried about him. Not that she wouldn't worry, of course.

The screen flashed and Delia appeared, with Professor Oak behind her.

"We made it to Sinnoh, Mom."

"That is wonderful, Ash. How was your trip?"

Gary shrugged, seeing his Grandfather was also fully focused on the conversation. "It went fairly smooth. I think we were on the edge of a storm, but it didn't even rain."

"I am glad. Thank you for letting us know. Your first destination is Professor Rowan's lab, right?" Delia asked.

Ash smiled. "That's right. Professor Oak mentioned the Sinnoh League wants all trainers to register through a local Professor. Because Gary is going to be doing some work for Professor Rowan, it seemed like a good place to go first."

Gary took up the train of thought. "It seems the Professor's laboratory is on the outskirts of Sandgem Town and we should be there by late afternoon."

"Professor Rowan is an old friend of mine, I remember this one time . . ." Professor Oak trailed off at the group's stares. "Well, perhaps now is not the time."

"Anyway, we better get moving, Ashy-boy, or we won't make it before dark."

"Then we should head out. But, first, Mom, is Scott still there?"

Delia shook her head. "He noticed you were not around the ranch the same day you left. It did take a couple of hours for him to figure out you were not just late. He cornered Samuel that afternoon and demanded to know where you were. He left after that conversation."

"It was not an entirely pleasant conversation, I will admit. Scott was irritated you left without giving him a decision. He would have understood if you declined it." Professor Oak remarked.

Ash shook his head. "He expects a lot from me. I am not sure he would have listened."

"Perhaps you are right, perhaps not. Please let us know when you get to the next town you stop at." Delia requested.

Ash nodded before waiving goodbye, allowing Gary to hang up the call after saying his own quick goodbye.

The two teens turned and headed towards the outskirts of town, following the signs to the path for Sandgem Town. The two took off at a brisk walk in the comfortable Sinnoh air. Soon enough, the two made it into the forest on the edge of the port city. Overhead, the sun peaked out from behind thinning clouds. The promise of a beautiful day encouraged the two young travelers.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After a couple of hours of walking, Ash and Gary saw a flight of Pokémon soaring near the tree tops. Gary rolled his eyes as he put a hand on his hip, Ash had come to a rather abrupt stop. The light in Ash's eyes shown bright as he excitedly watched the flying Pokémon.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex to scan the new species of Pokémon. "Starly, a flying type Pokémon. Starly normally travel in a flock, but when alone, it is hard to notice."

"Did you change the settings on your Pokédex? I don't think mine tells me their type." Gary said as he pulled out his own Pokédex to check.

"Yeah, I changed it a couple of months ago. I find it to be slightly useful information. More I was just curious to see what data I could get the Pokédex to offer beyond the standard language."

"Makes sense to me." Gary admitted.

Ash looked to his left shoulder where Aipom sat. "Let's catch one, Aipom!"

"Aipom A pom!"

The purple creature leapt from his shoulder to the nearest tree. Clambering up the trunk, Aipom scampered into the leaves. The two teens waited, catching brief glimpses of the climbing Pokémon.

"I am amazed at how you were able to train your Pokémon to act with only short command phrases. What phrase did you use here?"

"I didn't give an order. Aipom is smart, she knows kinda what I meant. So, she was able to take initiative. I don't think that is what I want to do too much while in battle. Actually, I haven't thought about it."

Gary snorted as a dark shape plummeted from the branches. Aipom followed, tail glowing in a Focus Punch. As the two Pokémon neared each other, Aipom struck the Starly fiercely. Using her momentum, Aipom flipped and landed softly on the ground. The wild flying type was not so graceful, slamming into the ground in a cloud of dust.

Aipom ran back to Ash, as the teen threw a Pokéball at the downed Starly. The Pokémon turned red as the Pokéball hit it and the flying type was sucked into the capsule. The Pokéball shook a couple of times before letting out a soft ding to signal a successful capture.

Ash walked forward and knelt down to pickup the Pokéball. "Well, Starly, I hope we become great friends. Welcome to the team."

Gary chuckled softly at his friend. "Come on Ash, we had best get moving. I think we are starting to run a little late."

Ash glanced to the sky. Due to the trees and clouds, it was a bit hard to tell where the sun was. "Alright, let's go."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

In the shadows of the trees behind the two travelers, a person moved. From behind a thick trunk, the new trainer snorted and started walking. As he moved through the trees a couple of thoughts came to him.

'There was something impressive in the suggestion of using a short phrase as a battle command. Though, trusting a loser Pokémon like that Aipom to act independently was just stupid. Who did that idiot trainer think he was? And did he ask such a weak Starly to be his friend? Perhaps beating him in battle would help that trainer learn Pokémon were useful only if they were strong.'

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The calm walk was shattered as an explosion rocked the otherwise quiet day. Gary looked towards the sound, wondering if there was a Pokémon battle going on or if there was trouble. As those thoughts ran through his mind, he noticed Ash running towards the noise and the small smoke cloud. Eevee had started to run ahead as Aipom leapt into the trees. Pikachu also jumped from Ash's shoulder to run in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Gary called to his friend.

"To see if everyone is okay or if someone needs help!"

"But we have no idea about . . . where we are." Gary trailed off as Ash started to disappear into the undergrowth.

"It looks like the effect of a Pokémon attack. I want to check it out." Ash yelled back as his form slipped behind a tree, disappearing from Gary's line of sight.

Gary rubbed his forehead with his hand before pulling out his Pokénav. He fiddled with the buttons and smiled. "Come on Umbreon, let Ashy-boy get lost. Let's go get some real help."

With that declaration, Gary and Umbreon started to jog, continuing up the path towards Sandgem Town.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The branches of the thick bushes scratched Ash as he pushed his way through the dense foliage. Aipom scampered along the tree branches above him as Pikachu and Eevee slipped through the underbrush with ease. Pikachu's ears were twitching as if trying to hear the next explosion before it occurred. Ash sent out his newly caught Startly to float above his head.

The group skidded to a stop at the edge of a clearing. To Ash's left, a number of large Ariados crawled forward menacingly. On Ash's right, a girl and a blue Pokémon huddled against the banks of a stream. Ash noticed the stream was wide enough to cut off easy escape for the girl. The girl and her Pokémon were clearly scared out of their wits.

Ash's eyes flicked back to the Ariados and saw the evidence of a couple of Bubblebeam attacks. The attack had created some dents in the ground and surrounding trees. A glance back at the girl let Ash evaluate the Pokémon. It was young and tired, its beak open as if to allow for deeper breaths. The damage suggested this Pokémon had potential for its age.

There was no more time to think about the situation. Ash darted forward, putting himself in the middle of the clearing. His positioning meant he was between the Ariados and their potential prey. "Aipom, use Swift, Eevee use Shadow ball."

Aipom bounced from the tree branches to the ground before sliding in front of Ash. Using the slide as momentum, the purple Pokémon leapt into the air. Aipom's tail glowed as she spun in the air, sending a shower of energized stars to slam into the front ranks of the Ariados.

Eevee had followed behind Ash into the clearing. When she heard her trainer's order, she glanced up at him. Eevee's ears hung low, before she moved to approach the Ariados. She paused and inhaled, gathering spectral energy into a ball. On her exhale, the Shadow Ball surged forward, crashing into an oncoming Ariados.

The combined attacks sent the fully evolved Pokémon scattering and seeking places to hide in the trees.

Pikachu climbed onto Ash's right shoulder. "Pika pi, pikachu."

"I know you could have handled it, but Aipom wanted to show off and Eevee needed to experience a fraction of battle."

Ash turned around as Starly continued to circle overhead. H stood straight and tall, Aipom and Eevee moving to stand by his sides. He was not smiling. With the smoke from his Pokémon's attacks, to Dawn he looked every bit the part of a dangerous Pokémon Master.

For the first time, Ash really took in the appearance of the younger girl. She wore a white beanie, her long dark blue hair still had the markings of being neatly done with two gold hairpieces holding some of her hairstyle together. She wore a black vest over a white shirt with a pink skirt. Finally, she wore fairly comfortable looking tall black boots.

Both the girl and the Pokémon she was holding looked at him in amazement, their jaws hanging open.

And then he knelt down with a big smile. "Hi, I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. Are you okay?"

Piplup tensed, sensing the strength of the new trainer's Pokémon and sighed in relief when it became clear Ash was not going to attack.

Dawn smiled gratefully at the young man in front of her. "I think I am. Thank you."

"Come on, where were you headed?" Ash asked, extending his hand to help her stand up.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash smiled as he walked into Professor Rowan's Laboratory. He and Dawn, who had introduced herself quietly, had run into Gary, Umbreon, and one of the Professor's assistants a couple minutes after the explosive introduction in the clearing.

Ash's Starly helped them find the wayward Chimchar when Dawn told them about why she was out in the woods. She didn't mention the translucent shape she thought she saw hovering above Lake Verity.

Professor Rowan was a tall gentleman. His grey hair was neatly combed, his sideburns extending all the way to his jawbone, covered slightly by his wide mustache.

"Hmm, I see you have brought back one a couple lost adventurers for me," the old Professor mused. "Young Mister Oak introduced himself to me earlier. You must be Mister Ketchum, Samuel mentioned you wanted to register for the Sinnoh League."

"And Dawn, thank you for volunteering to help bring our wayward starters back home. Before I assist the two young men, there is still one piece of business to take care of."

"It is good to meet you as well Professor," Ash replied. "I am looking forward to exploring Sinnoh. What business is left?"

"Why, young man, she needs to choose who her starter Pokémon is going to be. We have Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup for her to select from."

"Professor, I hope you don't mind me asking, but hasn't she already chosen?" Gary asked, gesturing to Dawn. She was waiting expectantly, if not put out that she was being ignored. Still in front of her stood Piplup, chest puffed up in pride.

Dawn huffed at the gesture, irritated at not being able to participate in the conversation about her. Well, Ash had been polite and listened to her, it was not really his fault as he had waited for the Professor to finish a thought before replying. This other guy, Gary, why did he have to say anything?

"You may be right, Mister Oak; however, the formalities should still be followed. Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup, please line up." Professor Rowan said with a gesture to a free standing laboratory table with stairs up the side for Pokémon to climb.

Dawn watched as Chimchar leapt from the ground to the top of the table and Piplup pushed passed Turtwig to get to the table as quickly as possible.

"Dawn, from Twinleaf Town, your Pokémon journey is about to begin. Please consider carefully, which of these three Pokémon will be your first companion?"

The young girl stepped forward to get a closer look at the Pokémon. Turtwig, the Grass Type, was fairly claim. Though the Pokémon was still excited. Proud Piplup stood in the middle, chest puffed out and beak in the air. The Water Type had been a helpful companion during the adventure with Ariados. Finally, Chimchar the Fire Type cheered from the end of the table. The happy Pokémon was a bit of a mischief maker and Dawn definitely was interested in the happiness the Pokémon exuded.

Dawn looked between the three and finally spoke. "I am going to pick Piplup. We worked well together today and I want to see how we work together in the future. Together, there is no need to worry!"

"Lup, Pip!" Piplup cheered.

"Char." The Chimchar scuffed his feet.

"A fine choice, young lady. Don't worry too much Chimchar, I hear there is another trainer coming in tomorrow who has quite a burning passion. Dawn, let me get you Piplup's Pokéball."

"I think you will enjoy your Water Type starter, my Squirtle was amazing. He is now a Blastoise and still one of my most trusted Pokémon." Gary said.

"Hey Dawn, what do you want to become?" Ash asked.

Dawn smiled. "I want to become a Top Coordinator. I love seeing Pokémon create amazing images and emotions in connection with their trainers. I imagine it is the best feeling in the world!"

"That sounds like a great goal." Ash grinned.

Professor Rowan stepped back to the group and passed over a Pokédex and several Pokéballs. Dawn gathered the items up and the Professor pointed at one of the Pokéballs. "This is Piplup's Pokéball."

"Thank you Professor!" She smiled at him, before looking to Ash. "Thank you for your help in the woods today. You said you were from Kanto, what are you going to do now?"

"I am challenging the Sinnoh League. I need to register for it, right Professor?"

"How did you arrive in Sinnoh and not know how to challenge the gyms?" A rough voice demanded.

The group turned to see the newcomer. He was slightly younger than Ash and Gary. His purple hair fell around his ears. The teen was scowling, a look made harsher by a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Couldn't be bothered to do any research before making a nuisance of yourself?"

Ash tilted his head quizzically at the new arrival. Pikachu's eyes narrowed from his shoulder. Gary crossed his arms as Professor Rowan spoke, preventing the Kanto natives from escalating the situation. "Paul, it has been a while since you stopped into my laboratory. How may I help you today?"

"Sorry Professor, the only business I have here today is these two. I saw this loser catch a Starly in an interesting fashion, I want to see if this carefree loser has any ability."

Dawn looked between the two completely lost. But sensing the situation, she decided not to comment. Professor Rowan just sighed, knowing this situation would be not be resolved in the next few minutes.

Gary on the other hand, snorted. "How many Conferences have you won?"

"I am going to win the Sinnoh Conference." Paul bit off his reply as if to suggest the question was ridiculous.

"None?" Gary seemed surprised. "Ash here won the Ever Grande Conference. You don't do that without dedication to training. He may seem carefree, but he is anything but."

"Gary, I don't need you to defend me. I can deal with him."

"I don't care."

"You have to be kidding me. Loser, I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The front yard of Professor Rowan's laboratory was enormous, with more than enough room for the Pokémon battle about to take place. The Professor had designed his property in such a way to ensure any battles would not disturb the Pokémon who lived at the Laboratory while their trainers traveled. Ash waited on one side of the field, kneeling down by Pikachu.

"I am going to start with Starly, I want to see where he is at competitively, how well he reacts to commands, and what his training needs to be."

"Pika Pi, pika pika pikachu."

"You are right, but I am not sure I want Eevee to fight against Paul. I am not sure she is ready. She needs to be eased into battles."

"Chuu, pika."

"I know. I promise, she will fight against our next opponent." Ash said as he stood up.

From the center of the field, Professor Rowan raised his arms. "This will be a practice match between Paul of Veilstone City and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. There shall be three one-on-one battles, the trainer who wins the majority of the battles shall be declared the victor."

The Professor looked at each trainer before dropping his hands. "Begin."

Ash smiled as he tossed his first Pokéball into the battlefield, sending out his newly caught Starly. On the other end of the field, Paul did the same.

"When did you catch a Starly?" Ash called.

"I caught several this morning, most were worthless. This was the only one that might be good enough."

Ash narrowed his eyes, something about the statement bothered him. "Starly, climb." He called out, "When you have an opening, use Quick Attack."

Paul growled as Ash's Starly darted into the sky quickly. "After it Starly, use Aerial Ace."

The Starly nodded once before flapping its wings strongly, leaving a glowing trail as it darted after Ash's Starly. Ash blinked, the two Pokémon were fairly far apart. Using Aerial Ace for that distance could backfire by taking too much energy. Aerial Ace depended on surprise, which meant attacking from distance was difficult. There was an opportunity for him to use.

"Dive." Ash commanded, his Starly rotated into a spin to change direction and dropped. Paul's Starly's Aerial Ace overshot its mark as it could not shift direction in time. Ash's Starly continued to fly directly at the ground.

"Aerial Ace, again." Paul ordered, his eyes narrowing and a snarl on his lips.

Ash smirked and waited as the attack neared before speaking. "Starly use Quick Attack to circle the field."

Ash's Starly seemed to blur as he rocketed forward with the speed of the attack. Again, Paul's Starly was unable to correct for the change in location of Ash's Starly. This time, instead of plenty of open sky to fly into, Paul's Starly slammed into the ground.

Ash waited as Paul growled. Ash's Starly circled the pitch, watching his opponent carefully. Paul's Starly struggled to stand, dazed from its collision with the hard turf. Before the Professor could make a ruling, Paul reached out his arm, holding his Pokéball out. "Starly return."

"Paul has withdrawn his Starly and forfeits the first round. Victory to Ash's Starly." Professor Rowan announced.

"How weak can you be?" Paul demanded of his returned Pokémon. With a couple of abrupt motions, Paul had a different Pokéball in hand. "Don't disappoint me."

With a flash of light, a Chimchar emerged as Paul's second Pokémon. Ash quickly returned his Pokémon. "Great job Starly, I am proud of you."

Ash let his hand seek the Pokéball's on his belt. He could probably easily crush this fire type with Pikachu. But that would not be fun or helpful. With Paul demanding so much of his Pokémon, he couldn't let Eevee face this opponent. Ash wanted to, Eevee would be a great battler one day, but this really was not the time. To keep the battle interesting and perhaps even close, there was only one choice.

"I choose you, Aipom. Firefighter!"

Paul blinked at the strange phrase. Ash's Aipom emerged from her Pokéball and before Paul could order Chimchar to attack the foolish, weak looking Pokémon, Aipom started to dance in place, causing clouds to start gathering over the battlefield.

"Chimchar, Flame Wheel! Knock that Pokémon out before the rain starts!"

The Sinnoh Fire Type Starter raced forward and tucked into a roll, charging towards Aipom. The Purple Pokémon stopped dancing and started charging a blue attack in between her forepaws as she used her tail to lift her body into the air. A Water Pulse shot out as raindrops started to pelt down, increasing the strength of the attack.

Chimchar was knocked from his attack and tossed backwards by a watery explosion. Before Paul could call out another attack, Aipom pushed off the ground with her tail in a jump. In midair, she spun, sending a Swift into the slowing recovering Fire Type.

The attack hit, creating a small plume of smoke. Chimchar was thrown out of the smoke, rolling. Slowly, the Fire Type pushed himself back to his feet. Ash arched an eyebrow at the stamina of the Sinnoh Starter. Aipom was not holding back and the Water Pulse was super effective and boosted by Aipom's Rain Dance.

"Scratch!" Paul yelled.

Aipom landed as Chimchar leapt at her. The Normal type ducked, her tail clenching into a glowing fist, while the Fire type came down from the peak of his jump. From below, Aipom slammed a Focus Punch into the attacking Chimcahr. Paul's second Pokémon was defeated.

"Chimchar is unable to battle, Aipom wins. With two victories, Ash has defeated Paul in this training match." Professor Rowan announced.

Paul sneered as he returned his Pokémon. "Are you going to remain this worthless too?"

Paul placed Chimchar's Pokéball onto his belt before pulling off Starly's Pokéball. He triggered a mechanism, releasing Starly back out in a flash of blue light. "Get out of here you weak piece of trash."

The Starly flew off without a hesitation.

"Why did you do that? Your Starly could have been a great ally." Ash asked, frowning as he picked up Aipom in the middle of the battlefield.

"I don't need a weakling like that on my team.

Gary rolled his eyes as he came to stand next to Ash. "Ignore him, Ash. He doesn't understand what it means to be a Pokémon Trainer."

"Then I can't ignore him. Paul, to be a Pokémon trainer is hard. It takes effort and time from both the Pokémon and the trainer. Creating a bond with your Pokémon can help bring out their hidden strength. Taking the time to learn about your Pokémon can help you create strategies to put your Pokémon into better situations."

"I don't need your advice. You got lucky, I only used weaklings. I do not see how you could be anything of note. Next time you will see the true strength of my Pokémon." Paul snarled as he turned and stalked off.

Dawn peered out from behind the Professor as the two teens from Pallet Town watched the grumpy trainer leave. "He does not seem like a nice guy."

"I don't like him. I am worried about his Pokémon, it seems like he doesn't care for them at all." Ash muttered as Pikachu leapt onto his shoulders while Aipom stayed in his arms.

Professor Rowan crossed his arms, with a deep, "Hmmm."

Gary smiled at Dawn. "I know a number of trainers like him. They seem purposefully blind to several key truths. It makes them less than pleasant to be around and they are hindering themselves as people. That type of trainer also irritates Ash."

"How do you deal with them?" Dawn asked.

Ash chuckled. "A lot of it depends on them. Some just need the patience of friends, it allows them to find their answers on their own. Others need more active assistance."

"He means beating them frequently." Gary interjected.

"I do not."

"Whatever you say Ashy-boy."

"You two seem like good friends." Dawn said with smile. "How do you know so much about trainers like Paul?"

Both teen's hands drifted to the collars of their shirts at her comment. Neither spoke for a second before Ash smiled. "We are old friends and both of us needed help to mature."

"Now, young man, you wanted to register for the Sinnoh League, is that correct?"

"That's right Professor."

"And you, young Professor, you are interning with me for the next several months, correct?"

"Yes, I am working on developing my Grandfather's work on Human-Pokémon relationships and I am to work in your Laboratory to see if I could gather any insights from your work into evolution on such relationships."

"And young Dawn, you are just getting started, as a Coordinator?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Well, that gives me a wonderful idea."

The Professor stepped away from the three kids. "Mister Oak, as my intern, I would like you to travel with a new trainer to see how they develop relationships with their Pokémon and how Pokémon Evolution impacts the relationships. I want you to compare this with an experienced trainer. See if you can answer how an experienced trainer develops relationships with new and evolving Pokémon."

Gary started to rub his temples. "You want me to travel with these two?"

"I believe I said as much."

Dawn hugged Piplup. "I wouldn't mind, if you think it won't be too much trouble."

"I don't mind." Ash said grinning. "If you want, I can help you prepare for your Contests some. I just traveled with another rookie Coordinator for her first couple of Grand Festivals."

"That would be great! Then there would be no need to worry!"

Gary sighed. "Professor, aren't you concerned that the tutelage and presence of experienced trainers in a particular mold will prevent the independent growth of the new trainer and skew the results?"

"You are quite correct. I will speak with Professor Oak. We will create several traveling groups. It will allow us to determine if interpersonal relationships will impact how Human-Pokémon relationships develop. I will follow up on this matter in a couple of days." The Professor said before turning to face Ash directly. He held out an official Sinnoh Pokédex. "Here is your completed registration, young man."

Ash smiled as he took the new Pokédex. He tucked into his pocket and pulled out his old Pokédex, handing it to the Professor. "Could you send this back to Professor Oak? I don't want to lose it."

"Of course, I will be happy to."

Ash turned to Dawn. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yep. No need to worry."

"Good, let me grab my pack and we can get moving. Do you want to come with us Gary?"

"I do. This will actually be an interesting research project. I will need to pick somethings up in the next couple of Towns. I was not prepared for a full journey around Sinnoh yet. At the least, I want to grab some extra food."

Ash chuckled as he made his way over to the front door of the Laboratory where he had left his supplies. "I am sure you have plenty of notebooks and pencils."

Gary sighed as he too picked up his pack. "Laugh it up Ashy-boy. As I said, the Professor's idea is interesting. I am looking forward to observing your training first hand, which will give me a better understanding of why you didn't take one of Scott's offers. I actually want to do this."

"Great. Do you think we can make it to the next town today?"

"I don't think so, the next city of any size is Jubilife City and it is far enough away that it will take several days. We can call home then."

Ash turned to Dawn. "Is there anywhere you want to go?"

"Yeah, there is a contest in Jubilife City. My Mom told me about it. I think it starts in a little over a week and I want to make sure I am there to win my first Ribbon!"

"Then let's get on the road!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dawn lead the group along the path towards Jubilife City, almost skipping. Piplup strode confidently next to her. Gary had left his Professors coat back at the Laboratory. His Umbreon and Ash's Eevee walked near him, discussing something in low tones. Ash's shoulders were empty as both Pikachu and Aipom walked next to him as he spoke energetically with Starly, who flew next to his head.

Dawn turned around, hands clasping behind her back. "Ash, why do you have all of your Pokémon out? If you don't mind me asking."

Ash waived Starly off to fly around before he turned towards Dawn. "Pokémon have feelings, emotions, dreams, and goals. I want to know what my Pokémon like and dream of. Also, I like to walk in the woods and want to share the experience with my Pokémon. Plus, I find it is good for their conditioning. By walking with my Pokémon, I can learn more about them and they can spend time with me."

"So there is no need to worry about someone being upset about us having so many Pokémon out?"

"It will depend on the person." Gary responded. "If someone is afraid of Pokémon, our group might be a bit intimidating. Additionally, it is considered a bit rude to take up too much space in Cities and Towns. There is a need to be respectful of other people's space and having all our Pokémon out at that time would be problematic."

"Thanks!" Dawn turned around, keeping her place between the two teen boys, while looking forward. "Why do the two of you travel?"

Gary responded first, having anticipated the question. "I have several reasons. I enjoy making new discoveries and finding places where humans have either never been or haven't been in uncountable numbers of years. Spending time with my Pokémon is also a major reason why I travel. Settling down makes it harder to dedicate yourself to the care and upkeep of multiple Pokémon in comparison to traveling Trainers."

"I travel for a number of the same reasons," Ash said. "There is always something just up ahead to experience. I get to meet great people, including the various Gym Leaders and Pokémon Trainers on the journey. Spending time with friends, Pokémon and People alike, is amazing. There are so many reasons to travel. In time, there may be a reason to stop and settle in, but for now the lure of the road keeps me traveling."

Ash glanced up in the sky, hands behind his head as he spoke. "Anyway, we are getting a bit late in the afternoon. I suggest we set up camp soon."

Dawn blinked. "Why? It has only been a couple of hours since we had lunch. There is plenty of time before nightfall."

Gary didn't say anything, instead, he looked at Ash in some confusion.

"Dawn, I understand why you are confused. But, Gary, you should know better. Look, it is going to take us about an hour and a half to find an appropriate place to stop. Then we will need to pitch our tents and start a cooking fire. By then, we will be getting hungry and just in time to cook dinner. After eating, there will be enough time to clean up, train, and rest before dusk. We can make more progress tomorrow."

"You know, I never set up a camp for a group. It doesn't take as much time for a single person. You are the only one with the experience of traveling in this size of a group." Explained Gary.

Ash shrugged. "Well, the largest group I traveled with was four people. We needed a while to get settled in. Also, Dawn, we will get to Jubilife City in time for your Contest. There is no need to rush and I find it is more important to do the daily activates right."

"If you say so, though it seems like we could get a bit further today."

"Well, I am not going to demand we stop." Ash said, "If you two think we should continue, I am happy to keep moving."

Gary glanced at his Pokénav, checking the time. "You know more than we do on this. I agree, we should stop and make camp."

Dawn huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, but did not protest as Ash called out to his new Flying Type Pokémon. "Starly, can you find us a place to stay for the night? Preferably something near water?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash sat by the fire, eyes focused on the broad sky above. The stars twinkled in the deep blue, the moon hanging high in the sky.

Over to one side, Dawn had ducked into her pink tent with Piplup. She had pitched her tent in the middle of the field. Ash's tent was behind him, the green fabric just in the trees and on a bit of a hill. There was a lake close enough to be accessible for water.

Gary pitched his tent carefully as well, knowing enough about wilderness traveling to avoid what looked like water damage.

Dinner had been something of a simple affair. While both Ash and Gary were competent cooks, neither were extremely accomplished in the art. Together the two teens created a roasted vegetable platter with a simple grain and sauce. Both boys were pleased the meal was edible and filling after an interesting day.

Ash had taken time after helping clean up to train with Aipom and Starly. Ash was glad he had trained Flying Pokémon previously, as it helped him start teaching his new friend some of the strategies and tactics Pidgeot, Noctowl, and Swellow knew and developed. Aipom wanted the companionship of her trainer more than actual battle practice.

Gary observed his old friend, taking notes as Ash worked with his Pokémon. The young researcher's journal did not include sketches, as his skills lay in words more than art. The descriptions were surprisingly detailed, as Ash discovered after finishing the night and being shown by Gary.

Dawn also watched Ash train. To be honest, she had never really thought about how to interact with her Pokémon. She always had an unconscious idea that when she started traveling, she would just know what to do. Watching Ash was awe inspiring as he took the idea of instant understanding and destroyed it piece by piece.

Now the group had mostly settled in for the night. All of his Pokémon, except for Pikachu, had returned to their Pokéballs for the time. Pikachu was sleeping on Ash's lap and the young trainer was almost ready to turn in for the night.

"She has a long way to go." Gary said as he came to sit next to Ash.

"We both did as well when we started. Are you finished for the night?"

"Yeah, I think I got a good start in planning my own training and Umbreon is looking forward to tomorrow. What about you?"

"I am glad I started thinking about training for this League Challenge back home. It meant I could focus on filling in the entries for Aipom and Starly. Thanks for pointing those notebooks out. I think they are going to help a lot."

"Of course, we should see if there are any available in Jubilife City for Dawn. There may be a version for Coordinators."

"She certainly is excited about traveling."

"I look forward to seeing her growth. Anyway, thanks for making sure we stopped at an appropriate time. I don't think we would have been as productive this evening if you hadn't."

"Knowing when to pick a camp was something Tracey was big on in the Orange Islands. He wanted enough time to sketch the Pokémon and to cook, so we would stop fairly early in the afternoon."

"Perhaps you should teach me and Dawn about group travel techniques."

"It isn't too complicated, you will probably pick up everything I know by the time we reach Jubilife City or a little after at worst."

"Any thoughts I should add to my notes about your training?"

"Yeah, I think I may bring Pidgeot for a visit soon to help guide Starly. As a Pokémon species, Starly reminds me of Pidgey. Both Flying Types are eager to do something, but without many battle skills. Trust me, Starly will evolve twice. He will be good for your research."

"Why do you think Starly will evolve twice?"

"With Flying Types, a lot of their speed, control, and power comes from their wings. Different wing shapes have different benefits. For a rare example, we met a Pidgey in Johto who was trying to fly to outer space. For the most part, Flying Types are limited due to the size of their wings. I expect Starly to evolve in the middle of battle when he needs more strength. For his second evolution, I suspect he will evolve based on weather conditions. A large final form will allow him to fly through harsher weather."

"What if Starly doesn't want to evolve."

Ash smiled as he rubbed Pikachu's head. "I won't make him evolve. I have several Pokémon who have chosen to remain the form they are in currently. A lot of times, they feel like their evolved form will not fit with who they are as a Pokémon or as a battler. Think about Totodile for a second. He loves to dance and uses his quick feet to do fun maneuvers. Evolving into Croconaw or Feraligatr means he will be too heavy to move like he currently does. That is unacceptable to him."

Gary nodded slowly. "Pikachu is the same right? He feels evolution will rob him of his identity as a Pokémon."

"Exactly, Flying Types tend not to have the same issue. They mostly grow only in size but don't tend to significantly change shape. Most importantly, they will still be able to fly and probably be able to fly better. Starly may surprise me, but I think he wants to evolve."

"That makes sense. What about Eevee?"

"I don't know. I don't think Eevee is against evolving. More, I think she does not want to fight. I may have to get her into the appeals rounds of Contests."

"If I remember correctly, your Charizard had significant personality changes upon evolution."

"He did, same as Donphan. Different changes for different Pokémon."

"Do you think Eevee will have a similar personality change?"

"It is possible, though I think the answer to the question depends on the Pokémon Eevee decides to evolve into. I could see a more battle loving personality emerge is she evolves into a Flareon or Jolteon. Other evolutions, like Espeon, would probably just reinforce her current personality."

Gary stood up, extending a hand to help pull Ash to his feet. Pikachu leapt from Ash's lap and was ready to head to their tent. "It is getting late. I want to add a few notes, then I am heading to bed."

"Sounds like a plan. Pikachu and I are going to head to get some sleep now."

"Sleep well."

"You too, see you in the morning."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash ducked into his tent and turned on his battery powered lantern. He picked up one of the books he carried with him, Cynthia's book on the Legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh. He started to flip through the pages, looking for something specific.

He was not quite sure what, but there was something about the lake and a feeling he had in his gut. Almost as if there was some other entity watching as he trained with his Pokémon. There was no guarantee it was a Legendary Pokémon or even anything more than a strange feeling.

It was always better to check than to worry about nothing.

His fingers paused and he let his hand run over a paragraph next to detailed artwork of the Lake Guardians. Ash looked at the artwork accompanying the description and thought back to his earlier years traveling. Being watched by a Legendary would not be a first. After all, what appeared to be Ho-oh flew overhead his first day on his journey and Suicune greeted him early in Johto.

The major question was if the visiter was checking in on the group of trainers for any particular reason or if the group had stumbled into a Pokémon's territory. After all, interacting with Legendary Pokémon was a challenge. The problem with encounters with Legendaries was any preparations were not worth much. Things always got too weird, really quickly, and almost never expected.

Ash closed the book and turned off the lantern, knowing he would not find his answers at the moment.

"Pikachu, I think our Sinnoh journey is going to be quite interesting."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Ash and Gary woke up with the sun. Ash with a bit of a grumble, he preferred to sleep in but knew getting up early would allow him to get more training in. Besides, the years of traveling had conditioned the young trainer to wake up early when camping. Having grown up at the Ranch, Gary habitually started the day early. The two started to pack up the campsite, which didn't take them too long. Both teens noticed Dawn had yet to stir, even though they had not been quiet.

The two teens shrugged off the situation, it was her first day on the road. Gary ignited the campfire and started preparing a breakfast which could be turned into leftovers for lunch. Ash sent his Pokémon out for a jog around the lake. As Ash went on his run, Gary would look up every few minutes to keep an eye on his friends progress and the silent pink tent.

As the sweet smell of roasting peppers started wafting through the air, Gary started to hear movement in Dawn's tent. From Ash's progress, it looked like he probably would be back just in time to eat breakfast.

A couple of moments later, the movement within the tent became a bit more frantic. There was a muffled scream, a small explosion of a Pokémon attack, and then a return to silence. The tent sat still for a few moments before Dawn crawled out with Piplup.

Her hair was perfectly done, not a strand out of place. She had dressed in her traveling clothes, perfectly arrayed.

Gary smirked at the younger girl's actions but did not comment on her activities. Instead, he announced, "Breakfast is almost ready."

"Thanks Gary. I guess I should pack up before eating?"

"Probably a good idea, we are likely to get back on the road fairly quickly after breakfast."

Piplup waived a fin at Dawn and then gestured at Ash, who was still jogging.

"When did he start that?" Dawn asked quietly, surprised her new mentor was running with his Pokémon.

"What was that? Oh yeah, Ash started his jog after we packed our tents."

Dawn shook herself. She turned and started to collapse her tent. As she was less practiced at the chore, Ash returned and set out food for all of the Pokémon by the time she was done. Gary had finished storing some of the food away for lunch and served breakfast up as well.

After shoveling his food into his mouth, Ash returned Starly and Eevee, while Gary returned Umbreon. Dawn returned Piplup and picked up her pack. She turned towards the road and saw a Pokémon hop out of some bushes.

Dawn froze, as did the wild Pokémon. Ash noticed her stillness and tapped Gary on his shoulder to alert him to the situation.

"What kind of Pokémon is it, Dawn?" Ash asked quietly.

"I don't know."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Use your Pokédex then."

Dawn jerked and nodded. "Right, my Pokédex." She started patting her pockets until she felt the metal device on the dies of her backpack.

Flipping it open, the device scanned the Pokémon and in a digital woman's voice spoke. "Buneary, the Rabbit Pokémon. When it senses danger, it perks up its ears. On cold nights, it sleeps with its head tucked into its fur."

"It is so cute, I want to catch it." Dawn murmured, grabbing a spare Pokéball. She pulled her arm back to throw it.

Ash lightly grabbed her arm. "Two things, Dawn. First, it helps if you activate and expand your Pokéball. Second, you are more likely to succeed in capturing a wild Pokémon if you have weakened it first or if you befriend it."

Dawn nodded rapidly. "Right, right. I can do this."

With her left hand, she pulled out Piplup's Pokéball and sent out her starter.

She paused, glancing over her shoulder at the two teens from Pallet Town. The two boys smiled reassuringly at her. She turned back to the Buneary and nodded once more, firmly. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam."

As she spoke, the wild Pokémon jumped high into the air.

Dawn blinked, staring into the sky after the Normal Type Pokémon. "What?"

"It is probably Bounce, a Flying type attack. An interesting choice from a wild Pokémon, typically wild Pokémon charge directly at an opponent." Gary mused.

Dawn didn't know what to say and a moment later, Buneary planted both feet in Piplup. The Water Type starter was knocked backwards. Dawn called out, "Piplup, are you okay?"

"Piip!" Piplup responded and flipped up to a standing position.

"Use Peck."

Piplup raced forward and the group noticed a crackling ball of white energy starting to emerge in front of Buneary's mouth. A beam lanced out towards Piplup, freezing the grass right in front of the charging Pokémon into crystalline formations of ice.

"Buneary is talented." Ash murmured to Gary before raising his voice. "You can do this Dawn, just take your time."

"Right," Dawn said, her voice quivering a little. "Right," She repeated, her voice solidifying. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam at the ice!"

Piplup nodded and sent a stream of bubbles at the ice formations in front of him. Chunks of ice were blasted into the air and sent rocketing, surrounded by more bubbles, towards Buneary.

The Normal Type Pokémon blinked and tried to jump out of the way. Instead, the combined attack slammed into the wild Pokémon.

"Try to catch it now, Dawn." Gary suggested.

Dawn pulled her arm back with the spare Pokéball in her hand, now activated and expanded to the right size. With a quick toss, she threw the Pokéball at and hit Buneary.

In a flash of red light, Buneary was sucked into the Pokéball, which started to shake. One twitch. A second twitch. A third. The Pokéball let out a soft ding, signaling a successful capture.

"I did it!" Dawn said, stunned.

"Congratulations, you caught Buneary." Ash said, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

Gary smirked, but didn't comment. Instead, he contented himself with picking up his pack and waiting. Dawn smiled briefly at Ash before rushing forward and scooping up Piplup.

"Thank you, Piplup, you did so well!"

"Luup, Piplup."

"I am glad you are okay too." Dawn stepped forward and picked up the Pokéball holding Buneary. "Welcome to the team, I am so glad you are going to travel with us."

Ash grabbed his pack as well and smiled at her. "You ready Dawn?"

Dawn turned and jogged over to the two boys. "Today has started out wonderfully. I am ready to do anything."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After their small side adventure, the group started walking down the path towards Jubilife City. Before Ash could ask Dawn about herself, the young girl spoke up. "How did the two of you become such good friends?"

Ash and Gary looked at each other and laughed.

Dawn crossed her arms at the two, frustrated with their response. Finally, Ash caught his breath to respond. "We grew up. Back when we were growing up together, Gary was this arrogant, know everything jerk. He always was the coolest kid and showed off how much he knew. Before going to school, we were fairly close, but being around other kids kinda drove us apart."

"Ashy-boy is spot on. Of course, he neglected to mention he was a naive idiot with too much energy and delusions of greatness. By the time we started our Pokémon journeys, we were fierce rivals and not the slightest bit friendly towards each other. Traveling with Pokémon has a way of forcing you to grow up. I quickly found I could not train my Pokémon as well as I would like if I was focused on presenting an image to everyone."

"I had to learn to focus, what to focus on, and to put an effort into training. Early in my Pokémon journey, I relied too much on the natural talents of my Pokémon. I think it took me about two years to really understand what I needed to change." Ash mused.

"I think you are ignoring some of the effect of traveling with Brock and Misty. In some ways they really helped and in others they allowed you to act a kid for longer than you otherwise would have. Anyway, our friendship was repaired at the Silver Conference in Johto."

Gary pulled out the white half of a broken Pokéball, which dangled on a chain. Ash smiled softly as he pulled out the red half of the Pokéball from under the collar of his shirt and took up the story. "We both realized we had kept a memento from growing up together. It was a reminder from one of our first incidents of our rivalry. A small regret really. After our battle at the Conference, we talked and traded halves of the Pokéball. Since then, we have tried to talk to each other a fair bit."

Dawn looked between the two of them. "So the two of you have never traveled together before?"

"We have travelled the same roads before in Kanto and Johto, but never together."

"I guess I am surprised."

Gary chuckled. "Dawn, once you get through your first region, traveling becomes fairly routine. Fun and exciting, but there is a method to the journey."

"Mostly it is centered on walking, eating, and sleeping." Ash said with a smile.

Dawn grinned at their answer as the group continued making their way down the path to Jubilife City.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash watched as Eevee darted back and forth across the path before the group. Pikachu and Aipom sat on his shoulders. Umbreon walked confidently next to Gary, who was absently fiddling with Ash's new Sinnoh Pokédex. Starting to trail behind the longer legs of the more experienced travelers, Dawn carried Piplup in her arms.

Glancing back, Ash smiled, they would need to finish the day of travel early, otherwise they wouldn't make much progress tomorrow. Instead of announcing his opinion, Ash decided to ask a more important question. "Hey Dawn, why do you want to be a Coordinator?"

"A couple of reason, I guess. My Mom is a Top Coordinator and I grew up watching her compete. The stores she was able to tell on stage were amazing. I fell in love with Contests and decided to follow my Mom's example."

Dawn paused, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I also love the tradition in Sinnoh to dress up for Contests. Each Coordinator tends to wear formal attire. I love the look of it, where the outfit of the Coordinator complements the Pokémon and the moves chosen to create an entire world on stage. I used to draw so outfit ideas. There is nothing quite like it."

Ash nodded at her passion. "Your first Contest will be in Jubilife City, right?"

"Yeah, I am looking forward to it."

"Do you have any ideas for how to proceed with your Appeal or the Battle rounds?"

Dawn blinked and looked down at Piplup who was focused on her. "Umm . . . No need to worry!"

"Then I won't, there is plenty of time before the Contest. By then, you will be prepared to step out on the stage." Ash said calmly.

Gary chuckled quietly as Dawn, squeezing Piplup a little, agreed. "Of course I will be ready."

Ash looked forward again. "How about you and I have a practice Contest Battle later?"

"Okay, but you are a lot better than I am."

Gary snorted. "Ash is better than most trainers around. Trust me, facing him for practice will help you learn. Especially if we talk about the match afterwords."

Before Ash could say anything more, Eevee froze, ears twitching. From behind some thick undergrowth, a taller man stepped out. He wore a forest green cowboy hat and a dark, moss green cloak. A powder blue, wide ribbon was used as a tie and he held a golden harp in his hands.

"Pardon me, I did not mean to interrupt."

Ash shrugged as Eevee backed away from the stranger to stand closer to her trainer. "It is not a problem. I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

The man inclined his head in a slight bow, his long, dark hair falling in front of his eyes. "I am Nando, a wandering Minstrel of Sinnoh."

"Gary Oak, from Pallet Town."

"Hello, it is great to meet you, I am Dawn from Twinleaf Town."

"You are quite a diverse group, it is wonderful to meet you all."

"Going in any particular direction, Nando?" Ash asked.

"Not for the moment, I am just letting my feet take me where they will. I am seeking an answer, one which has eluded me and I hope to find in due time."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Are you a trainer?"

"A Trainer? Perhaps. A Coordinator? Perhaps. I find I have yet to decide which path to take."

Ash smiled. "Perfect, would you be interested in a Contest Battle?"

"I would be pleased to test my skills against you."

"Oh . . . no, you wouldn't be fighting me." Ash said as he pointed to Dawn. "Dawn is the one you will be up against. Gary and I will be the judges."

"As you say. Miss, would you be willing to battle me?"

"Absolutely, I am ready when you are!"

"Very well, there is a field just over there. Shall we clear the path while we battle?"

As the group followed Nando, Gary leaned over to Ash and whispered, "I don't know how to judge a Contest Battle."

Ash replied just loud enough for his friend to hear. "Contest Battles are timed, five minutes maximum. If a Pokémon can no longer battle within the time frame, its Coordinator loses. Typically, there are a set number of points and the judges deduct points based upon style, accuracy, and other concerns."

The young trainer paused and slowed down so Dawn and Nando would get even further away from the two teens from Pallet Town.

"Nando has been traveling for a while. You can see it in part from his belt. I noticed he has at least three Pokéballs with him. Unless Dawn is inherently an amazing trainer, she will probably lose within the five minutes. She has a chance though, depending on the Pokémon involved."

Gary sighed. "Okay, so we have to score as though we think the battle will be close?"

"Yes and I am going to be taking notes on Dawn's performance. I want to see what I can do to help her with and where her biggest problems are."

"I will do the same." Gary said.

"Thank you, another set of notes will be helpful."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Spotlight!" Dawn called out as she threw her Pokéball into the field. Piplup emerged in a flash of white light.

From the other end, Nando smiled softly and held a Pokéball of his own. It flashed open as he murmured, "Budew, if you please."

Ash and Gary looked at each other and then out at the battlefield. It was not a horrible matchup, Piplup had already demonstrated a Flying Type attack, which would be extremely effective. Budew though would have the advantage of a wider range of attacks which could be devastating to a Water Type like Piplup.

Dawn pointed dramatically towards the center of the battlefield. "Piplup, use Peck!"

The light blue Pokémon started jogging forward before leaping in the air to attack the Grass Type Pokémon. As Piplup moved, its beak started to glow white and to elongate ever so slightly.

"Dodge it please, Budew." Nando said.

The little Grass and Poison Type shook its leaves, creating a cloud of spores as it shifted position.

Piplup slammed through the dusty cloud as Dawn called out again. "Budew went straight back, use Bubblebeam."

In the cloud, Piplup winced as it took on a purplish hue. A breath in and a stream of bubbles carved through the air slamming into Budew.

The Grass Type shook, droplets of water going every direction, the attack having done minimal harm. "Solar Beam, if you don't mind."

The two leaves clasped together above Budew's head curled open as light started to gather.

Dawn seemed to freeze, should she order Piplup to dodge or to strike while the attack was charging. Also, there was something wrong with Piplup, he did not seem as energetic as was normally. Dawn's mouth opened and closed a few times as she struggled to know what to say.

Before she could make up her mind, Budew's Solar Beam was released. The bight yellowish white light slashed through the air, driving Piplup backwards and into the ground.

Ash stood up as the attack faded out. "Piplup is unable to battle, the winner is Budew and Nando."

Dawn rushed forward to where her starter was laying, his eyes unable to focus. "I am so sorry Piplup! Are you okay?"

Nando quietly returned Budew, "You did wonderfully."

The tall man then pulled a bottle out of his cloak and walked forward to kneel by Dawn. "Your Piplup has been poisoned by Toxic. Here is an antidote, it will help him feel better."

"I didn't know Toxic could be performed as a spore based attack." Gary said, taking down notes as he finished his evaluation of the practice match.

Ash shrugged. "Budew somewhat reminds me of the Kanto Grass Type Lines. Most of them are Grass and Poison Types. They can be tricky to battle because of not knowing how they will effect your Pokémon and each have a slightly different way of attacking."

"Luup."

"Piplup, I am so glad you are okay! I am so sorry, you did wonderfully. I will get better, I promise. No need to worry!"

Ash smiled softly at Dawn before turning to Nando. "You mentioned earlier of searching for an answer as to the path you should take. Did this battle help you discover your direction?"

"Unfortunately, no, I am still searching. I am torn between two paths. My heart wants to undertake both, but my mind is unsure and thinks it better to travel down a solitary path.

Ash blinked at the answer, but restrained himself from commenting on the flowery language. Gary asked, "What two paths do you want to pursue?"

"I am trying to decide between following the path of a Trainer or the path of a Coordinator." Nando replied.

"Do both." Ash suggested.

"I'm sorry?"

"Compete against the Gyms to challenge the Sinnoh League and participate in Contests to qualify for the Grand Festival."

"Is it truly such a simple answer?" Nando asked himself, stunned.

Ash grinned and laughed. "It is a simple answer, but completing both in time will be much more difficult."

"I can see that. You are a Trainer?"

"I am. Gary is a Professor and Dawn is looking to become a Top Coordinator."

"If each of you walk a solitary path, why do you think I should attempt both passions?"

"Because they are your passions. I may compete in a Contest here or there because I know I have Pokémon who love that challenge. My passion drives me to be a Pokémon Trainer. You want to follow both paths, so I think you should follow both paths."

Nando nodded slowly. "I see, yes, you make a lot of sense. Thank you Ash, I will consider this idea."

A round of goodbyes followed as Nando headed off, considering a new option for his answer.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

As the group settled in for the evening, Ash brought a book to the campfire. Pikachu ran up his back to sit on his shoulder as Ash joined the other two travelers.

"Dawn, I have been thinking about your battle with Nando."

"You have?" Dawn asked surprised. After they had made camp, Ash had focused on his own Pokémon again. She was honestly not sure how he planned to help her become a great Coordinator as he had shown no real interest in spending his training time with her.

"I have. To be honest, part of the reason I am waiting to start teaching you is I don't know where you are as a Coordinator. I want to see how you do at the Jubilife City Contest. While we could talk or you could demonstrate an Appeal, there is nothing quite like the stress of the actual competition to understand exactly where you are at as a Coordinator."

Dawn nodded slowly. "I guess I understand."

"The thing is, I have an idea of where you are in battle. With this morning's adventure in capturing Buneary and then your battle against Nando, I have several ideas of how to help. The first is to let you borrow this book."

He handed the book to her. She glanced at the cover and read the title aloud. "Communication Clarity?"

Gary looked up from his writing. "Grandpa's book?"

Ash nodded, grinning. "This is my copy, I will get you a clean copy later. This is one of the most helpful books I read."

"It is?" Gary asked, surprised.

Ash looked at his old friend for a moment before turning back to Dawn. "This book gave me the core idea of how to call out attacks. Remember when I fought Paul? What orders did I give Aipom?"

Dawn's brow furrowed as she thought, a hand rising to her chin. Next to her, Piplup mirrored her pose. A finger pointed to the sky after a moment, her smile emerging. "Firefighter."

Ash nodded. "Exactly. I told Aipom the attacks to use and a suggested order to use them in. The movement was pure training to understand how an opponent may attack."

"So you worked with Aipom to create a plan before the battle and then were able to use the plan in such a way that Paul had no idea of what you were doing?"

"Almost, remember, I had no idea what Pokémon travel with Paul and I still don't know if those are all of his Pokémon."

Dawn blinked, stunned at the comment. Gary spoke up with a question. "How many strategies do you have with each Pokémon?"

"I try to develop at least three for each Pokémon with my Pokémon. Dawn, this is what we are going to start working on. Contest Battles demand grace and beauty. We will work with your Pokémon to learn new moves and then to put those moves into strategies. This way, if you are not sure how to proceed, there is already a plan in place."

"Right, so I won't have the problem I did today. Cause, I didn't know what order to give Piplup. There were no orders so he didn't know what to do either. With these strategies, I don't have to remember to tell my Pokémon to dodge as it is part of the order already."

"Yep," Ash grinned at her.

Dawn paused for a moment before asking her next question. "What did you mean to learn new attacks? Don't Pokémon learn attacks without help?"

Ash pulled out his Sinnoh Pokédex and scanned Piplup. Instead of the device speaking, he pressed a button and a list appeared. "Right, Piplup knowsBut look here, what about a less known attack. Here, Water Types can be easily hurt by Grass Pokémon. By learning Aerial Ace or Blizzard, Grass Types can be handled."

He paused, scrolling through the list a bit. "Or what if you face up against an Electric type Pokémon? Teaching Piplup Dig could be a good idea."

"I could also teach Piplup Rain Dance and Stealth Rock or Rock Tomb to create a monster rising in the rain!"

Ash nodded. "For an Appeal, absolutely. Remember, you are and want to be a Coordinator. Don't settle for what is, reach for what could be."

"Thanks Ash, how do I get the list of Pokémon moves on my Pokédex?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"That was a good thing you did earlier." Gary commented as the two boys watched the stars. Dawn had gone to sleep a while ago while the stillness of the night beckoned the teens to a late conversation.

"I didn't know how to have that conversation with May, even though I wanted to. Initially, I didn't have the idea set and later, May wanted something different from me."

"I can understand that. The Jubilife City Contest will be interesting. If she can develop any battle skills at all, she will fairly quickly surpass a number of Coordinators."

"Contests are hard. You have to train your Pokémon with a deft hand, to create elegance."

"Are you going to enter?"

"I might, Eevee is . . . I don't know. She shows no interest in learning new moves or battles. She didn't pay attention to Dawn's battle with Nando at all. I am struggling to come up with a way to get her interested in the training I want to give her."

"Perhaps she has a different path."

"I know, but right now, these are the options I can give her. As we run across other choices, I will let her experience them. Until she decides what is the right decision for her."

Gary sighed. "Speaking of right decisions, are you planning on talking to Scott when we reach Jubilife City?"

"I still don't know what to say to him."

"Give him the answer you gave us. As I mentioned, he will respect your decision and understand your reasoning enough." Gary said calmly, his hands clenched in his pockets, hidden from Ash's view.

Ash sighed but didn't reply.

"Your Mom and Grandpa expect you to talk with him, even if they haven't said anything yet."

Ash still didn't respond. After several moments of silence, Gary walked away, leaving his old friend alone in the star-filled night.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ash prodded the burning coals of the campfire, his Pokémon sleeping around him. The group had made their way to Jubilife City at a pretty good clip, with few distractions. Ash suspected if dusk hadn't fallen, they would have been able to see the skyline of the city from their campsite.

Dawn was already asleep, she had woken early to work with Piplup and Buneary to create a couple of Appeals for her first Contest. She was making progress and had asked the boys a couple of questions as she worked. It was something both boys were willing to give general advice on, but neither went out of their way to help at the moment.

Both Ash and Gary had spent some time the last couple of days working with Dawn to learn how a battle flowed and some different techniques for battles. Dawn listened to their hints, but her attention was more on creating the Appeals.

Ash smiled softly as he looked into the fire. She was learning and growing already, he could see the changes. Mostly in her ability to interact with her Pokémon, her traveling skills were taking longer to develop.

Ash reached his hand down to the Pokémon at his feet, stroking Turtwig's shell. The Sinnoh Grass Type Started had joined the group after a short adventure. Ash and Gary got turned around in a forest full of Stantler, one of which Gary caught. There had been a Crogunk as well, but the Poison Type Pokémon had disappeared soon after.

Eevee was still a mystery for Ash. He loved her, in part because she was so well behaved. However, he did not know how to get her engaged in training. She would happily play with him or the other Pokémon, but learning new moves was not something she seemed interested in.

Aipom, on the other hand, watched Dawn work on her Appeals. Her rapt attention caught Ash's eye and he started working with Aipom to develop an Appeal as well. Ash had not mentioned it to Dawn, but he was considering entering the Contest in Jubilife City to allow Aipom to try the experience.

Ash glanced over to the tents, where Gary was hurriedly taking notes as the light fell and night claimed the camp. He was enjoying watching the interactions between Ash, Dawn, and the various Pokémon. He mentioned to Ash the reason he caught Stantler was because the joy of the journey and being a Trainer was coming back to him.

Gary was not planning on challenging the Gyms, but spending time training his Pokémon was a joy.

Ash sighed as he gazed towards the fire. He needed to deal with the offers from Scott. Well, he already had given his answers in one way. Now it was time for him to give the jovial man the confirmation.

Giving bad news was hard and it appeared like this call would be unpleasant. As Ash moved to get some sleep, a thought crossed the back of his mind. He shook his head, losing the idea as soon as it appeared, as he got into his sleeping bag.

He would make the call. If he could not do the right thing for Scott, then how could he trust himself to make the right decision with his Pokémon.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Morning came early the next day. Ash took over cooking breakfast as Gary continued writing in his notebook. As he had suspected, the very top of the Jubilife City skyline could be seen. Once again, Dawn's lack of traveling experience was evident as she did not wake up until the meal was served and it took her several minutes before she deemed herself presentable. Ash shrugged of the second part, remembering May was the same. It was something to do with the attractive nature of Contests that participants tended to want to look their best.

Instead of immediately getting on the road, Ash spoke up at the end of the meal. "Dawn, how is it going in creating your Appeal?"

"I don't know, I think I am doing well. Piplup is able to extend his beak when using Peck, which is an interesting visual."

"That is good to hear." Ash said, "The Contest is in only a couple of days, do you feel like you are prepared?"

"I think so. I haven't competed before, so I don't know. Piplup and I are going to do our best. No need to worry."

"Of course, we are fairly close to Jubilife City. Do you want to work on anything for an hour or so before we head out?" Ash grinned, his comment causing Gary to look at him strangely.

Dawn rubbed Piplup's head. "I thought you said you wanted to see how I did at this first Contest before really staring to train me."

"I do want to wait, however, you are also my friend. If there is something you would like help with, I want to be there for you."

"I think I am good for the time being. I have a plan and Piplup knows what to do. We need to practice a couple more times, but otherwise, I think I just need to do it."

Ash nodded his acceptance. "Good to hear Dawn. Hey Gary, how is Stantler doing?"

Gary shrugged, "Stantler is still adjusting. He is not used to being out of the deep forest and so there is a lot out there which is hard for him to understand. I hope by the time the Contests ends, Stantler will feel more comfortable."

"Let me know if you need any help with training."

"I will. Anyway, if there is nothing we need to do here, I suggest we get on the road. We should be in Jubilife by lunch. You know we have things to do at the Pokémon Center."

"Like what?" Dawn asked.

"Most importantly is getting your Pokémon checked out, you want to be sure they are healthy and stable enough to travel." Gary said.

As Dawn considered his statement, the group gathered their packed gear and started off. Gary lead the way, forcing the other two to scramble to keep up.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jubilife City, the biggest city in Sinnoh, was fairly quiet as the group made their way towards the Pokémon Center. It was just late enough in the day for most people to be at work or busy.

The tall buildings glinted in the sunlight, carefully curated parks broke up the metal city. Ash lagged behind Dawn, who was looking at each store they passed with interest, and Gary who had his hands in his pockets as he stalked forward.

It have been a nice walk to arrive in the city, undisturbed by wayward Pokémon and Trainers. However, Ash was unable to really enjoy the time as Gary's words from before and his own thoughts rattled around inside of his head.

There was nothing new about anything he was considering, and to be honest, he was a prepared as he ever would be. It just was not a conversation he was looking forward to.

The white walled, red roofed Pokémon Center stood at the end of the street. Ash's head rose as he followed his friends towards the normally comforting building.

The doors opened automatically, allowing the travelers into the building. Gary immediately headed to the main dest to inquire about reservations for the next coupe of days. Dawn Followed, hoping Nurse Joy would be able to direct her towards registering for the Contest.

Ash turned and headed to the bank of phones. Pikachu patted him on the top of the head comfortingly as he sat down. He took a deep breath and quickly typed in the phone number.

The screen flashed to life as Scott appeared, sunglasses still in place.

"Ash, it is good to see you. I understand you made it to Sinnoh."

"Hey Scott. Look, I am sorry about leaving before giving you an answer."

"It is alright man, I should have known better. You are a traveller, being tied down is not what you are about."

"Still, I wanted to apologize and to say that I am not sure I am ready for either offer."

"Ash, I wouldn't have made any offer unless I thought you were ready. Still, I will respect your decision for the time being. Where are you in Sinnoh anyway?"

"We just arrived in Jubilife City."

"Good to hear, you are making fairly quick progress it seems. Are you going to be there for a while?"

"Yeah, a friend of mine is entering a Contest here in a couple of days."

"Well, I will let you go and I wish you well in your travels."

"Thanks Scott."

The screen blacked out. Gary slid into the seat next to Ash. "That didn't go as expected."

"No it didn't. Scott didn't seem frustrated or anything. I am not sure why." Ash said as he rubbed Pikachu's ear.

"I am sure we will find out. Let's call home and let Gramps and your Mom know we made it safely. You know they both look forward to our calls. And you can tell them you followed up with Scott."

"Alright. Oh, before that, Gary, are you thinking of entering the Contest?"

"Not really, looking pretty comes naturally to mean and I don't really want to have to work for it on stage."

"I think both of us should, At least once. Maybe not this time but sometime."

"Why do you think that? Shouldn't we be focusing on helping Dawn?"

"Neither of us have crated something flashy for the sake of appearance. And we both recently caught a Pokémon. You enter with Stantler and I will enter with Turtwig. Let's see how we do against each other in competition one more time."

Gary nodded slowly. "Sure, but not during Dawn's first Contest. It will make her too nervous and be a distraction she doesn't need. The next one we run across, we enter."

"There will be no guarantees of both of us with new Pokémon when we come to the next Contest."

"Only native Kanto Pokémon can be used by the two of us then. I want to see if you can use Charizard in a Contest."

"Then you should use Arcanine, he is probably the most Contest ready of your Pokémon."

"No need to be on this bet. Charizard does not exactly have finesse."

"True, but I trust Charizard and we will put on an awesome show. Can you do the same with Arcanine?"

"Stakes?"

"Loser wears a shirt proclaiming the winner is the Pride of Pallet Town."

"You are on."

Ash smiled as he punched in Professor Oak's phone number. "I look forward to seeing you wearing that shirt."

"It won't be happening Ashy-boy."

"I am glad to see the two of you are getting along just fine." Professor Oak said from the monitor.

"Hey Professor."

"How are you doing, Gramps?"

"I am doing well. Where have the three of you made it to?"

"So you heard from Professor Rowan?"

"I did, it sounds like an exciting research opportunity. I look forward to seeing how Ash impacts Dawn in comparison to our other traveling groups."

"How many groups were you able to put together? Is there a control group? Is that just a single traveller?"

"Not too many, just enough that we will be able to fit you on the byline."

Ash smiled at Gary's stunned look. "We are here in Jubilife City, I just called Scott to apologize as well. Anyway, we expect to be here for a couple of days. Will you let Mom know I will call her tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. And what did Scott say?"

"That was the weird thing, he didn't seem that upset at all. He mentioned I was a traveller or something like that. I am not sure what he meant."

The Professor frowned before shaking his head. "Do you have a plan for the next couple of days?"

Ash shook his head. "We will go shopping to pickup some additional necessities and to see if there is anything useful. Having Gary along is helpful, but there are some needs. For example, we need a couple more canteens."

"That and having extra mouths to feed is depleting our food faster than I thought it would, so I want to make sure we are carrying enough essentials." Gary agreed.

"That sounds good. Well, I will leave the two of you to explore the City. And don't worry Ash, I will let your mother know. You should probably call her tonight instead of tomorrow though."

The screen went black as the call disconnected. Ash and Gary stood up as Dawn approached.

"I am registered for the Jubilife City Contest. I am the last one in! I am looking forward to this so much. But before we really settle in, I think we need to go pick something up."

"What is it?" Gary asked.

"A Pokétch! They are multipurpose watches with some really cool features. All the best Coordinators in Sinnoh have them. It looks like there is a sale a couple of blocks away."

Ash exchanged a quick glance with Gary before shrugging and gesturing for Dawn to lead the ay. Gary shook his head as he followed the exuberant girl and slightly interested boy.

"This is going to be great, there is software made just for Coordinators." Dawn started to explain as the three headed out of the Pokémon Center.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Pikachu curled up in the shade of a nearby tree to take a nap as Ash worked with some of his other Pokémon. Currently, Ash was sitting and talking with Aipom and Eevee, he already worked with Turtwig and Starly. Both Aipom and Eevee needed special attention.

"Aipom, you have been enjoying watching Dawn practice her Appeals. I am not going to enter this Contest, it is Dawn's first time and I agree with Gary. This is her event and I want her to feel like it is about how she performs. How about we start working on an Appeal and enter the next Contest?"

"Ai Aipom Ai!"

"I know you want to try immediately, but thanks for understanding."

"Aipom."

"And Eevee, do you know what you are interested in pursuing?"

Eevee shook her head, "Vee."

"Alright, take the time you need. I may send you and a couple other Pokémon back to Pallet Town for a while."

"Vee!" Eevee exclaimed, eyes widening.

"I know you want to travel with me, I enjoy traveling with you as well. However, it is not fair to the other Pokémon. I am trying to rotate the team so everyone gets a chance."

"Vee eee vee."

"Don't be like that, you may find your place at the Ranch. Think of Bulbasaur. I know he is willing to visit me on the road, but he loves being the peacekeeper at the Ranch. I would have Mom check in on you, trust me you wouldn't be alone."

"Eeeveee." Her ears drooped past the bottom of her chin.

"No, I am not sending you back as punishment. You are fantastic, that is why you have stayed with me for so long. Even if we figured out your path today, I would still transfer you to the Ranch when we leave Jubilife City. There are other Pokémon I need to spend time with as well."

"Vee eevee."

"I know it is hard, but we are part of the same family and sometimes that means doing things we don't like."

Eevee nodded sullenly and returned herself into her Pokéball. Ash took a breath and returned Aipom as well.

He stood up and stretched. It was about time to let Nurse Joy check his Pokémon out after the day of training. Better to be over cautious when possible then to stumble into a bad situation.

Pikachu's ears twitched and the yellow Pokémon sat up as well, waking from his nap. "Pika pi pika pikachu chu."

Ash looked over at his Starter. "Yeah, Eevee has been with me for a couple of months, I need to let another Pokémon travel with me for some time. So I am going to transfer a couple of Pokémon back to Professor Oak after the Contest."

"Pika?"

"No, her not knowing her path is not a problem. I promise. I want to help her reach her goals, I want to reach my goals, and I want all of my Pokémon to reach their goals. Sometimes that means I have to make the hard choices about who gets to stay with the team and who stays at the Ranch. Besides, perhaps I will have an idea about her path when she comes back to the team."

"Pikachu Pika pi."

"Yeah, I know Eevee is happy when she is with me. I don't want to hurt her feelings. That is why she has stayed on the team for so long. I mean when I went through Kanto the second time, I rotated the team completely at nearly every Pokémon Center. Still, I think I just don't know what to do." Ash sighed.

"You could ask for help," a male voice said, interrupting Ash's conversation with his Starter.

Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder as the teen looked over at Gary. "Do you have any ideas then?"

"Not at all. However, Gramps or your Mom might. Or Brock. Maybe Norman. you know a lot of trainers, good ones too. One of them may have an answer for you. We are here for a couple of days, you might was well reach out to see if you can talk to a couple of them for advice."

Ash nodded slowly, "You trained an Eevee, what was it like?"

"Eevee was playful, he wanted to run and investigate. He also wanted to fight, I could tell he probably would evolve into an Umbreon because he loved to Bite."

"Do you thinkI should enter Eevee into a Contest? See if creating an Appeal would motivate her?"

Gary shook his head. "I would send her to your Mom to be honest. Eevee may just want to be someone's companion. You may have hatched and raised her, but it may maker her happier to have the stability of Pallet Town."

"Excuse me, which Pokémon are you talking about?" Dawn asked, having stumbled across their discussion on her way back to the Pokémon Center.

"I am having trouble helping Eevee find her path," Ash replied.

"Couldn't her path just to be next to you? Like Pikachu or Piplup for me, but different?"

The two boys exchanged a glance. Gary nodded slowly. "It is a possibility. Gramps could work it out so Eevee's Pokéball wouldn't count against your carry limit. It would mean more work, bringing additional Pokémon."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "If we are worried about supplies, I have several Tauros. Maybe one of them is not as interested in fighting and would enjoy being with the group and willing to carry some supplies."

"You should ask Gramps."

Ash smiled at Dawn. "Thanks Dawn, how did practice go?"

"I think it went well Piplup and I are going to do a great Appeal. No need to worry!"

"Are you confident about your battle preparedness?" Gary asked.

Dawn smiled and nodded. "Thanks to both of you, I think I know how to approach a battle and I should be fairly well prepared. I can't wait to win my first Ribbon."

Ash chuckled. "If you win, you may be on your way to becoming better than I ever will be. My first Gym battle was a disaster. I hope you win and I believe you will do great."

Dawn smiled and with a brief thank you for the encouragement, headed back to the Pokémon Center.

Gary and Ash followed a couple of feet behind her. Gary whispered. "She is going to lose isn't she?"

"Do you remember your first Gym battle? How did it go?"

"I fought Brock and beat him with Squirtle. Type advantage being what it is. It was the third gym, against Lieutenant Surge that I lost. Remember at the time the Sensational Sisters were handing out badges to anyone. Surge destroyed me."

"I had Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree. Brock's Onix wrecked me the first time and I got lucky the second time. She will put on a good showing, she is more prepared than I was at the same point."

"You have a lot of trust in her for being so new a Coordinator."

"She reminds me of me. Hopefully she won't have too many of the same bad experiences," Ash paused. "Your research project, about how an experienced Trainer may be able to help a younger Trainer?"

"What about it?"

"It gave me an idea. I want to see if I can help Dawn win her first regional competition. She wants to be a great Coordinator and I feel like I can help her do that."

"This first Contest is to show her what the challenge is, the second will be how strong the best really are, and the third will be when she starts to shine?"

"Something like that."

Gary sighed. "How did you come up with this plan?"

"I thought about my journey. Pewter and Cerulean were to discover the truth of the challenge, Vermillion was a glimpse at how strong Trainers could be and I started to grow as I pursued the rest of my Badges. Or you could look at it in terms of leagues. Anyway, she can be amazing, she just needs the right help."

The two boys looked at the back of the young girl leading them to the Pokémon Center. As they neared the building, Gary spoke again. "You may be right."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash leaned back in his bed at the Pokémon Center that night. The Contest was in a couple of days and before then he needed to have several conversations. Still, his focus was on Dawn for the moment. He could tell she was nervous. After dinner she had headed back out to practice.

It seemed like a number of the other Coordinators had registered and then left the City to practice and were not going to hang around the Pokémon Center until the Contest. He was looking forward to the event, he enjoyed the Contests May competed in. It would be interesting to see if Contests in Sinnoh were any different from those in Hoenn or Kanto.

His notebook lay on his lap, a pen resting in the crease of the pages. He had just entered some notes about Turtwig. The young Grass Type demonstrated some good speed. However, he could tell that like several other well known Grass Type evolution chains, Turtwig's evolutions would demand a change in how the Pokémon fought.

Still, a large Grass Type would be an interesting challenge.

It was thoughts about Eevee which were tickling the back of his mind. Intellectually, Ash knew there were peaceful Pokémon who had pursuits other than battle. The issue was him. He was a Trainer, dedicated to fighting in the Leagues. In time he may change his course, but for now that was his dream and goal.

Eevee would be a great companion, but perhaps not for him. Still, he thought of Dawn's comment about bringing Eevee along anyway and not worrying about her training.

It was an option, not one he was thrilled about to be honest. Still, he did not want her to feel abandoned and if he sent her back to the Ranch, how would that make her feel?

He pulled out his Sinnoh Pokédex and messed with it for a moment. The screen blinked on and a map of the region appeared. The closest place with a Gym was Oreburgh City. That would be the next place to travel.

Should he keep Eevee on the team for the time being? He could let her enjoy traveling and everything. In time she would find her path. Hopefully, Eevee's path was something he could help her with.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next morning came early for Dawn. She was excited for the day, looking at her outfit for the contest. A pink dress, with a couple tasteful series of laces. She wanted to be ready anyway for the Contest, including all the details.

She looked at Piplup, "Soon we are going to win our first Contest."

"Lup!" The little blue Pokémon agreed, pounding his chest with his flipper.

Taking a deep breath, Dawn picked up her starter and left her room. Heading down stairs, she saw a girl with short orange hair standing at the bottom of the stairs. She wore a modified tuxedo and was holding a Pokéball in her hands, posing before a mirror hanging in the hallway heading to the main area of the Pokémon Center.

"Excuse me, are you going to be entering the Contest too?" Dawn asked.

The short haired girl looked at Dawn, her deep brown eyes looking slightly red in the light. "I am. I am Zoey of Snowpoint City."

"I am Dawn from Twinleaf Town. Is this your first Contest?"

"No, I have competed a couple of times. What about you?"

"Yeah, this is my first time. I am really looking forward to it," Dawn paused. "Would you like to meet my friends I am traveling with?"

Zoey shrugged. "Sure, It would be nice to meet some other people."

Dawn pushed the door open and the two girls headed into the main lobby of the Pokémon Center. Standing near the door were three figures. Two of which Dawn recognized. Gary stood, arms crossed, slightly behind Ash.

Standing in front of Ash was a tall girl wearing a red jacket with the emblem of the Pokémon Rangers. Her teal hair tied up with some of her ponytail peaking out from behind her head.

Ash looked back over his shoulder and noticed Dawn. He waived her over. "Hey Dawn, how are you this morning?"

"I am doing okay." She looked curiously at the newcomer.

"Sorry, this is Solana. She is a Pokémon Ranger I met a while back." Ash said.

"It is nice to meet you and this is Zoey, a coordinator from Snowpoint City. Zoey, this is Ash and Gary, both from Pallet Town in Kanto." Dawn said, gesturing to each in turn.

"Hello." Zoey said simply.

"The pleasure is mine," Solana said. "Anyway, Ash, as I was saying, could I travel with your group for a while?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 **Author's Note**

I am sorry for the long time between updates. Life got hectic. I am not sure when it will be back to normal, but I hope to get back to two updates a month until the story is told.

Thanks for your patience!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The screen flashed to life, Professor Oak's face appearing in the display. The older man frowned as he noticed who was calling him.

"Ash, I am surprised you are calling me today. I wasn't thinking you would call until after the Jubilife City Contest. If I remember, that starts tomorrow."

"Yeah, some strange things occurred and I have a couple of questions for you Professor."

"Very well, what can I help you with?"

"You know the Eevee I hatched? I am having difficulties understanding her. She doesn't enjoy Trainer Battles nor does she seem interested in Contests. I really don't know what she might want to do."

"Do you want to send her to the Ranch then?"

"I am not sure. Not right now at least. Dawn had the idea that maybe Eevee just wants to be a companion. If Dawn is right, I am worried about sending Eevee to you and how it would impact her. I was actually hoping to increase my carry limit."

"You already have an increased limit. Remember you can carry up to nine Pokémon and you still have a couple of slots open if I recall correctly."

"I know, I was wondering if you could increase it to twelve?"

"Why?"

"Because, I want to have three Pokémon with me all the time. Then I want to rotate through more of my experienced Pokémon and still have room for newly caught Sinnoh Pokémon. Frankly, I want to do more than I am and I think I could handle the added needs."

"Taking twelve is something we don't encourage for a reason. Having the supplies necessary, carrying all of the Pokéballs, treating the Pokémon correctly, it is a big challenge."

"Well that was something Gary and I have been talking about. One of the three Pokémon I wanted to keep with me would help in the supplies department. I was wondering if one of the Tauros would like to travel with me, as a cargo hauler."

"Tauros are proud Pokémon. I will check, but I would not expect it. If you can figure out a way to carry enough supplies and food, I will consider raising your limit to twelve."

"Oka, I will see what I can do as well. I don't want to push Turtwig, but his evolutions may solve the issue. A lot of my Pokémon are proud and would think it beneath them, honestly. I don't want to hurt their feelings, so I won't pressure any of them."

"Then we have a tentative plan there. Was there anything else I can help you with today?"

Ash nodded, leaning back in his chair pausing, trying to organize his thoughts. After a brief moment of silence, he leaned forward to speak quietly into the camera. "A while ago, I met a Pokémon Ranger named Solana."

"Yes, I remember. You mentioned something about an overgrowth that she was investigating."

"That's right. Anyway, she showed up here in Jubilife City and asked if she could travel with us."

"I am not seeing the problem. While it is rare, a Pokémon Ranger has the ability and authority to travel with Trainers. Frequently the Ranger has to leave to handle and incident and are never quite able to catch up again. Though coming to Sinnoh from Kanto is a bit strange."

"Professor, Scott offered me a position with the Pokémon Rangers, remember. I am concerned he is ignoring my decision to remain a Trainer for the time being. Sending a Pokémon Ranger to travel with me could be his way of trying to see if I would accept the offer sooner."

Professor Oak leaned back, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. He was silent for a moment, considering Ash's concern.

Finally he spoke. "It seems like a bit much of a coincidence for a Pokémon Ranger to appear so quickly after you officially turn down the offer."

The Professor paused, opening his eyes. "Ash, what is the problem if Solana has been sent to travel with you in part on behalf of Scott?"

"I just want to travel. It is enough to deal with my Pokémon, helping Dawn, doing my own training, and getting from place to place. Adding in additional projects with the Rangers is too much."

"Ash, for once, you are thinking too much. If she is asking to travel with you, then she may just want to travel with you. Let the situation develop naturally. You may find she just wants a bit of companionship for a stretch of her own journey."

"You agreed that it was strange she showed up so soon though."

"It is. That does not mean Scott is out to get you or the Pokémon Rangers are trying to coerce you into something. I know you are trying to do the right thing and to protect yourself. In this case, even if you are right, what is the worst that can happen?"

Ash blinked before quietly responding. "I don't know."

"The worst thing is you go on an adventure with Solana and end up injured. From what you have told me, those situations happen all the time to you anyway. If the issue is Scott, then hold the thought in the back of your mind and make the decisions you feel are right. Take your time and enjoy your journey. I would suggest you take her up on her offer. You may enjoy the experience."

"Won't it mess up your experiment about one experienced Trainer and a new Trainer?"

"We have enough teams, the data will be fine. Besides, a big part of the reason was to give you and Gary the chance to travel together. Our experiment is fine and not the most important thing. You are. Gary is. Dawn is. We can work around bad data, if the results are in question."

"Okay. Thanks Professor."

"Call me before yo leave Jubilife City. I will see if one of your Tauros is willing to travel with you."

"Thanks. I will. Talk to you soon."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash turned away from the darkened line of phone booths, ready to return to his friends and Solana. He walked down the hall connecting the phones to the cafeteria, his steps getting heavier and quicker as he moved.

He carefully opened the door and Pikachu looked up. His yellow starter was sitting on the table where his friends, Solana, and Zoey sat. Zoey was leaning back, almost as if she wasn't sure she wanted to be there. Solana, arms wide, was gesturing as she talked about a mission she had been on. Gary was taking notes, a small smile on his face, while Dawn laughed along to the story.

Quietly, Ash sat down.

"We were finally able to get that Magikarp settled down and now I don't take missions to deal with those menaces any more."

"Wow. How do you know Ash?'

"Well some of it, I am not going to tell you. Not because of any rules or regulations, but because it involves legendaries. But I first met Ash in Kanto where I was investigating a Pokémon induced overgrowth. Then there was that situation with a strange and powerful Psychic type Pokémon in Hoenn. Actually Ash is a bit of a legend for all the situations we get reports of that he is involved with. Hasn't he told you any of this?"

Ash shrugged as the group looked to him. "Mostly nothing too unusual happens."

"Ash, you and I have run into two legendary class Pokémon, that is typically a pretty big deal for any Trainer or Ranger." Solana countered.

"On my first day of my journey, as I was leaving Pallet Town, I scanned a Pokémon flying overhead and my Pokédex couldn't identify it. Since then, I have come to the conclusion it was Ho-oh. Honestly, I have run into a great deal of mythical or near mythical Pokémon. Most of the time, it is just another day." Ash said.

Gary opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, unable to find the words. Zoey narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, clearly not believing him. Dawn looked at him, jaw hanging slightly open.

Solana sighed, "Really, it is that frequent?"

Ash nodded. "Sure, sometimes these things just happen, you know."

"Prove it," Zoey snapped.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex, muttering about how he hoped the device would pull up his pictures. "I am not a great photographer. It is just not in my nature, but Misty insisted on taking several."

He paused, before showing the group the picture. "First, this occurred when I was traveling in the Orange Islands. I was with Misty and a guy by the name of Tracey. He is now working for Professor Oak as an assistant. The island of Shamouti had a festival or something and I was asked to participate as a traveling trainer."

He turned the Pokédex around, in the picture he was sitting on Lugia's back, Pikachu on his shoulder. Twisters, lighting, ice, and fire were all in the background. "Anyway, some collector guy interfered with the celebration by stealing a couple of treasures. The treasures were these glowing spheres which somehow were connected to an Articuno, Zapidos, and Moltres. I am not sure how far the situation effected things, but Gary do you remember when the weather got really freaky for a spring day? That was this event. Mom told me they had snow in Pallet Town. Anyway, my Pokémon and I helped get the treasures back and put on the right shrine. We were helping Lugia fight the other legendary flying types. The local musician played a song and Lugia was able to send Articuno, Zapidos, and Moltres back to their islands and fix the sea current. That was a strange day."

Solana rubbed her forehead. "I remember the weird weather. The Pokémon acted really strange that day as well. I really should travel with you, we didn't even know about that incident."

Gary looked at the Ranger in surprise. "Really, I remember it being on the news live? I had been at a Pokémon Center when it went own."

Zoey just stared at the Pokédex and the image on it.

Dawn grinned. "Ash, that is so cool. And you have seen other legendary Pokémon?"

"Sure," Ash said. "I am not a great photographer, meaning I don't think about taking pictures. I would have to think about which ones I have met, but I think I have met a lot of them."

He turned to Solana. "Why do you want to travel with us anyway?"

"Well, originally, I was supposed to just come and talk to you about becoming a Ranger. Then I had a mission come up around Oreburgh City, so I thought I would travel with you until we reached there. Now, I am thinking I will need to request the ability to spend more time with you. After all, if you are running into so many legendary and mythical Pokémon, the Rangers would want to know. It is rare for Trainers to meet one mythical Pokémon, much less several."

Solana shook her head, teal bangs dancing over her eyes. "If you don't want to join the Rangers, I am not going to push. Really, I think I have suggested it enough already and am going to drop it. I just may ask for some help on a mission or two, you do have the experience and sometimes we need someone used to the unusual."

Ash looked at Pikachu, rubbing his Starter's head. "Alright, if you want to travel with us, I have no objections."

"I don't either. Besides, it could be interesting to see how a Ranger could help a Coordinator and a Trainer." Gary interjected.

"You are a Trainer?" Zoey demanded.

Ash nodded. "Gary was as well until he became a Professor, Dawn is a Coordinator."

"Are you considering entering the Jubilife City Contest?"

"Not really, this is Dawn's opportunity. Besides, I want to see how she does, so I can lean how I can help support her."

Zoey nodded, apparently satisfied by his answer. "Good," she turned her head to look at Dawn. "Being a Coordinator means dedicating yourself to Contests and learning with other Coordinators to do better each time."

"I am looking forward to competing and making it to the Grand Festival. My goal is to be a Top Coordinator." Dawn smiled in response. "To do that, I am happy to learn from anyone."

"Would you like to travel with us too? It would be nice to have the company, big groups are fun to travel with." Ash suggested.

Gary snorted. "Ash, ease up I don't mind letting Solana travel with us, but we don't even know Zoey."

"I travel alone anyway." Zoey replied. "I am not interested at the moment."

Ash shrugged. "I just thought it could help all around. After all, Gary and I are fairly experienced, as is Solana. Then the two of you are Coordinators. But if you don't want to, then that is fine and you can let us know if we can do anything to help."

"I appreciate it, but I don't think a Trainer will be able to help a Coordinator. After all, if you can't tell the difference in battle styles then there is a problem."

Ash narrowed his eyes, but kept silent. She could hold any opinion she wanted, no matter how wrong. Gary just arched an eyebrow.

Zoey looked at Dawn, who as glancing between the two boys and Zoey. "Good luck in the Contest. I need to put a few finishing touches on my training. See you around."

"See you later Zoey!" Dawn chirped back.

Solana stoop up as well and with a smile murmured, "I need to call into headquarters to see if they need anything done around here for the moment. I will catch up with you all later."

"What about you Dawn are you going to train a little more as well?"

"I think I'm going to call my Mom. I want to check in and let her know there is no need to worry"

She stood up and headed to the phones as well. Gary looked over at Ash and sighed. "Are you sure it is a good idea to let Solana travel with use? You get into enough trouble already, should we be adding a Pokémon Ranger into the group?"

"I think it could be interesting to see what she can teach us. After all, the Rangers are very talented and Professor Oak seemed to think it was a good idea."

"Alright, I am interested in what she's going to add as well."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next day and the Contest came quicker than Dawn expected. Still her Mom had given her some good advice and she was trying to relax. It wasn't easy and there were a lot of other Coordinators with more experience.

Ash, Gary, and Solana made their way to their seats in the audience. They had a pretty good view as they were sitting fairly centrally in the crowed and not too far back. Pikachu curled up on Ash's lap and the group looked down on the stage where the MC was waiting to start the show.

"I hope Dawn does well." Ash murmured to Gary.

"She will."

On Ash's left Solana smiled at the feigned calm of the boys.

The MC called the audience to order, "Welcome to the Jubilife City Contest! Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Jubilife City's own Nurse Joy!"

The Crowed roared their approval until the MC cut them off. "I am Marian, your MC for today's festivities. Now it is time to welcome our first Coordinator!"

The first couple of contestants did okay. None really wowed Ash, may had been putting together better Appeals then these even halfway through her first journey. Gary was only attending because he was interested in the format and to support Dawn.

The two boys perked up when Zoey stepped out on stage. With a flourish, the white suit wearing girl welcomed Misdreavus out to join her on stage. The Ghost type Pokémon used it's haunting powers and beauty to create the impression of outer space in the arena, complete with twinkling stars and vast blackness. Ash clapped as she headed offstage.

"That was really impressive."

Gary nodded. "Yeah, she has trained that Misdreavus quite well."

"I wonder what moves she had her Pokémon do to create that image. It really was a great visual." Solana agreed.

"The stars were Shockwave. I am not sure about the darkness. I haven't trained Ghost types for any real period of time." Ash said.

The next couple of Coordinators returned to the average, doing well enough but not really as engaging as Zoey's performance.

Finally, it was Dawn's turn. She stepped out onto the stage wearing a cute, ruffly, pink dress. She had put her hair into ribbons and walked confidently to the center of the stage. Dawn looked out on the crowd and her smile faded for a brief moment before returning in full force.

Dawn took a deep breath before throwing her Pokéball and calling out, "Spotlight Buneary!"

The Normal type Pokémon appeared and started bouncing around while suing her Ice Beam. The attack created sculptures of jagged ice, turning into several massive icicle flowers. The fallout of the attack chilled the air, giving the illusion of snowfall over a frozen field.

A moment later, Dawn bowed and headed back stage to the green room.

"That was really good." Solana remarked.

"I like how she was able to create snow when the focus was on the sculptures." Gary agreed.

Ash nodded. "Very good for a first time, I'm looking forward to seeing how she does as she gets used to being on stage and being comfortable in front of the crowd."

"It sounds like you weren't that impressed." Solana commented.

Ash shrugged. "Blame it on the fact I've seen a couple of Grand Festivals. Dawn has talent, she just needs to refine it and to create a story when she's making an Appeal. Remember when Coordinator's make an Appeal, the only real restriction is to not hurt the crowd or the judges. You can use as many moves as you would like unless the specific Contest rules limit it. Buneary is probably a really good Pokémon to use in the Appeals, because she has such a wide variety of moves she can learn. I am very impressed with what Dawn was able to do for her first Contest, I think she will do even better at the next one."

Gary scratched something into his notebook, "You already have an idea of what she needs to learn?"

"Some. A great deal is going to be getting out on stage and being part of multiple Contests. Still, I noticed several things she can improve on the road. Move selection and Appeal creation mostly."

"And that is our last Coordinator!" Marian Announced, the group having missed the last couple of Appeals. "We are going to take a little break for everyone's comfort. The battle rounds will start after a while."

Ash shook his head, he kind of wanted to grab something to eat, but knew it was important to check in with Dawn. After all, it was her first Contest and she was surrounded by her competitors and rivals. Zoey may offer some support, but if Ash was in Dawn's place, he would want a friend."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Your Appeal was really good Dawn."

"Thanks Ash." Dawn said, not asking how Ash got to the locker room in the back.

"Now all you need to do is go out, have fun, and do your best."

"And win." Dawn added.

The two chuckled as Zoey came by. Ash gave the orange haired girl a grin, "I enjoyed your Appeal as well Zoey."

"Me too, I really hope to be able to create an Appeal as spectacular next time. How did you get the illusion of darkness?"

" Misdreavus used a big shadow ball attack to defuse the light enough to generate the impression of darkness."

"How did you come up with that?"

"Lots of practice."

Before the conversation could continue the ten minute warning played over the speakers. Pikachu, sitting on Ash's shoulder tapped him on the head. Ash grinned, "I need to get back to my seat, you both are going to do great in the second part of the contest. See you all later."

"Thanks Ash, no need to worry."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Marian, the MC, big screen overhead. "And now here are our top eight Coordinators!"

One by one the portraits of the contestants moving on appeared on the screen. The first image was that of Zoey. Another image appeared and then another, none being of Dawn. Finally, the seventh portrait appeared and Dawn's smiling face was on the big screen. As Ash sat down the last contestant was announced.

Marian spoke up again. "The Coordinators have been placed into the bracket. The first battle of is Zoey of Snowpoint City against London of Oreburgh City."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Zoey and her Glameow were quick winners, and the next bout was not more interesting for Ash and his friends. Soon enough Marion was calling Dawn of Twinleaf Town to the stage for her first battle.

Standing on one end of the stage, Dawn called out, "Spotlight Piplup!" Sending out her starter Pokémon.

Her opponent sent out a Shinx, Ash raised his eyebrows at the electric type. "Dawn may have a tough time with the type disadvantage."

Gary narrowed his eyes, "That Shinx does not seem to have a lot of power, I could be wrong. I think Dawn should win this."

"Piplup, bubblebeam!"

"Shinx, Dischage!"

The two long range attacks smashed into each other in mid-air, creating small explosions which looked like fireworks.

Dawn hesitated, causing Ash to wince up in the audience. Her first gambit had failed, what was she going to do next. Her pause was enough for her opponent to try and change the situation.

"Use Spark Shinx! Close in!"

Dawn took a quick breath as the electric type charged forward. "Piplup, dodge and use Peck."

The blue finned starter Pokémon dived to the ground as Shinx leapt in it's attack.

As Piplup slipped around, the Pokémon's beak started to extend and the Water type jabbed at Shinx. The attack hit, causing the Electric type to hit the ground.

"Follow up with Bubblebeam!"

Piplup inhaled and then exhaled a charged blast of bubbles at the recovering Shinx, who could not dodge.

Dawn's opponent called out. "Shinx are you okay?"

As he did, the buzzer sounded. "By knock out, Dawn is the winner and will advance to face Zoey!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The two girls stood opposite each other as the time ticked down. Piplup was breathing heavily, dirt marring his body and evidence of Glameow's scratches all over his chest. Glameow sat poised, waiting for the next exchange.

Dawn couldn't figure out how to approach the battle, everything she did was turned away or avoided. Still she had to do something.

"Is that everything you have? I was hoping for more from you."

Dawn didn't respond to the jab, knowing Piplup wanted to continue but a Bubblebeam would not work. Peck maybe?

"Glameow, finish with a Shadow Claw!"

"Piplup, dodge it."

Dawn's starter was almost able to get out of the way of the attack, but the striking Glameow slammed into Piplup. Sliding towards the end of the ring, Dawn froze.

Luckily for her the buzzer sounded. "And that is time, advancing to the finals based upon points is Zoey."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That night, after Zoey had lifted the Jubilife City Contest Ribbon in victory, the entire group gathered in the Cafeteria of the Pokémon Center.

Dawn smiled tightly at her friends, shuffling her feet every once in a while as she pretended to participate in the small party for Zoey's win.

Ash came over to stand next to her. "You know, you could join in more. This is a party to celebrate your first appearance in a Contest and how good you were able to perform."

"But Zoey is the one who won and the party is for her. I am proud of how I did, but I wanted to do better."

"You know, I after every League Tournament, it didn't matter how I did all I could think of was that I wanted to do better the next time. Take those feelings and put them to the side for a moment. You took the plunge and are one of a select group of people. You are a Coordinator. You competed in a Contest. Tomorrow, think of how you can do better."

"That doesn't sound easy. My mind is going over every second of the match against Zoey. I know I could have beaten her, there has to have been a way."

"Of course it isn't easy, but it is valuable. There is a way to beat Zoey and soon enough you will. Just remember, you took several steps today. From your first Contest Appearance, to your first successful appeal, to your first time to the battle rounds. Next time, it will be easier, still not easy but easier."

Dawn nodded firmly. "I can do this, I can be happy for her."

Ash grinned, thinking of his first few encounters with Gary during their first trip around Kanto. He had almost the same hunger to beat Gary as Dawn now held to beat Zoey.

"Tomorrow will you start helping me learn?"

"Yes, tomorrow we start training."

"Good then there is no need to worry."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As the sun rose over the horizon, peeking out between the skyscrapers of Jubilife City, Ash woke up. Normally, he would sleep in more. He appreciated the comfort of a good bed, both at the Pokémon Center or at home. However, this morning, he sat up in the bottom bunk, mind already working on a couple of his problems.

He would have to call Professor Oak later in the morning to see if Tauros was willing to haul things for him. If not, it may be possible to trade a Tauros for something like a Camerupt, a terrible option, but an option nonetheless. Then again, a lot of Tauros worked on farms and ranches. He may be lucky.

Figuring out what to do with Eevee was perhaps a bigger issue. How could he help Eevee find a goal when he did not understand her? If he couldn't expand his team, could he afford keeping her involved? Should he ignore the problem for a little while longer or should he take the initiative and make a change?

Ash shook his head as he finished dressing for the day. As part of figuring out Eevee, he needed to deal with something else as well. He needed to figure out his rotation for his Pokémon. It was not a big issue, he had only a couple opportunities to make a change so far in Sinnoh. Still, he wanted to make sure he and his Pokémon were ready for the Conference.

With a yawn, the young man opened the door, Pikachu sleepily following him. Making his way through the Pokémon Center, Ash slipped out the back of the building and he quietly stepped out onto the empty training grounds.

He reached to his belt and grabbed three Pokéballs, which he tossed into the air. Three white lights flashed and took the shape of his Pokémon. To his right, Aipom balanced on her tail, a wide grin on her face. In the middle, Eevee shook her white ruff before sitting, tail slowly wagging. Finally, to the left was Turtwig, a firm stamp of his foot and the fierce Grass Type stood ready for battle. Pikachu trotted over to join the line of Pokémon.

Ash knelt down, so his head was closer to his Pokémon. "Alright, soon we are going to face the next Gym Leader. I was talking with Gary earlier and he mentioned the Oreburgh Gym Leader uses Rock Type Pokémon. I know I am going to call in Totodile for backup. I was thinking you would lead off Turtwig. That means we need to do some training to prepare."

Ash paused, glancing to Eevee who was sitting with her body towards him but her eyes roved taking in all of the different sights around the training ground. Sighing to himself, Ash moved on. "Aipom and Pikachu, I want to work with the two of you to develop a couple of Appeals. Dawn is ready to learn more from me, she needs help in both the Appeal and Battle Stage. While I am confident we can make any battle flashy, I am not sure how to help with an Appeal."

"Pika? Chu pika pika pi?"

"I know, it was my mistake and my fault. I should have done more for May, she deserved more than me saying her Appeals needed work. I sent her a note after the Contest and will see if I can do better with Dawn."

"Turt?"

"If you want to learn about doing Appeals as well, I would be happy to include you in the training."

"Vee, Ee eevveee?"

"I am waiting to hear from Professor Oak. I want you to be happy but I need to give attention to the rest of my Pokémon as well. That goes for you was well Aipom, you are great and I love traveling with you. However, I may send you back to the Ranch temporarily to work with other Pokémon as well."

Aipom crossed her forearms and glared. "Pom Ai Ai Ai pom."

"I know, it is not what you want. I want all of my Pokémon to be happy. While the two of you really need to spend time with me, the rest of the family deserves the same chance."

Aipom scuffed her feet. "Ai."

"Thanks for understanding Aipom. For now, let's get to some training. Starting with creating some Appeals. Pikachu, I was thinking about what we could do with your lightning and speed."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Several hours later, Ash and Pikachu trudged into the Pokémon Center. Sweat dripped from under Ash's hat and he had stripped down to his tee-shirt. With a little huff, he collapsed into a chair at the table his friends were sitting.

"Morning." Ash said.

Gary rubbed his forehead. "How long have you been awake?"

"Morning Ash!" Dawn replied with a grin, Piplup nodded form his place on her lap.

Solana merely nodded at him over her cup of coffee.

"Not too long, just woke up at sunrise. Anyway, after breakfast I need to call Professor Oak. Depending on what happens there, I may be looking to do some shopping. What about the rest of you, any plans?"

Dawn shrugged, "I would like to get some training in, if that is alright with you."

"It might be nice to get on the road." Solana murmured into her steaming beverage.

Shaking his head in bemusement, Gary glanced at the clock. "Make your phone call Ash. We can finish packing and get on the road by midmorning. Dawn, we can talk you through a lot of what we saw as we walk. Tonight, maybe we can get started on showing you a couple of things."

Solana shrugged as Dawn nodded in agreement. Gary stood up, "Very well then, I will go gather my notes."

"Before you do," Ash interrupted, "I was wondering if you would talk with your Grandfather with me."

"It is your request he will be responding to, not mine."

"Yeah, I know. Still, he may be more willing to grant the request if you are there and he remembers both of us are involved."

"You are making a personal and interesting request. It doesn't matter if I am around. You will be caring for twelve Pokémon on the road. That is a big challenge and one you need to convince my grandfather that you can handle. I will help from time to time, but it is your responsibility and your Pokémon. Trust me, Grandpa will do what is right."

Ash nodded, a bit stiffly. "Well, I guess I better make that call. Dawn, you doing okay? I know losing is always tough."

"I am doing okay, yeah. I wish things turned out differently, of course right? But still I think I put on a good showing and because I have the two of you, I think I will do even better next time."

As Gary walked away, Ash stood up. "We won't let you down Dawn."

"Thanks!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey Professor, were you able to talk to my Tauros?"

"Good Morning Ash, yes I am doing well. Things are moving along like normal and your Mother is nearly constantly checking in."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry Professor, I got excited. I am glad things are going well at the Ranch. Mom and I talked yesterday, it seems Mimey is taking over even more chores for her."

"Very true. Now, as to your request to carry twelve Pokémon, I must confess to being surprised. Not by you or the responses from the people who have the authority such as Professor Rowan, but from your Pokémon. Every single one of your Tauros were excited about the opportunity."

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

"Neither was I my dear boy. Now, I am going to trust you with carrying twelve Pokémon. I know that if it ever gets to be too much you will make good decisions and elect to voluntarily carry fewer. Is that understood?"

The Professor's voice dropped as he asked his question, eyes narrowing. Ash nodded quickly in response. "Yes, Professor, I understand."

"Good. Now, you have several slots open. I will transfer Tauros to you. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

"Yeah, a couple other transfers please." Ash said holding up a Pokéball.

"Very well, who are you sending back and who would you like transferred to you?"

"Snorelax is getting tired of being on the road, so he is going back to the Ranch. I was hoping you could send me Swellow to help train Starly and Totodile. Then I also need to spend more time with Gastly and Absol, could you send those two as well. I think that will be all for the time being."

"Very well, by my count that puts you at ten Pokémon. I am assuming you are keeping the extra slots for new catches?"

"That is my plan."

"Very well. I look forward to seeing how you do with this group of Pokemon. A very diverse cast, with a diverse set of needs."

"I know, I am looking forward to the experience."

"Give me a few moments to collect the various Pokémon and we can get you on your way."

"Thank you Professor!"

"Any time Ash, any time."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tauros, weighed down as he was by supplies and the groups backpacks, was not allowed to set the pace. The rampage loving Pokémon's strength and endurance was extremely impressive. Meaning he could still easily outpace Ash and his friends.

Dawn took the job of leading the group as they walked towards Oreburgh City. Ash was happy to meander down the road next to her as he easily kept up the pace.

Eventually Dawn broke the silence. "What did you think of the Contest overall?"

"Zoey has a long way to go and in time the two of you will outclass a good chunk of the competitors. Your Appeal was really pretty good, but you will still want to improve it to ensure you consistently make it to the battle rounds. You need to be more comfortable with the battle itself, I know you need to be flashy but there needs to be a level of understanding how to compete as well."

From Dawn's other side, Gary rolled his eyes. "What Ash is trying to say, ineffectively I think, is this was your first time entering into a Contest. There are positives and negatives in your performance."

"I haven't seen too many but I enjoyed it." Solana chimed in, "I would agree though, you seemed a bit stiff in battle."

"How do I get better?"

Ash grinned. "That is exactly what I wanted to hear."

"Wanting to get better is the first step. It is when you are content with your level that you no longer improve," Gary agreed.

"Still, how do I get better?"

"Practice." Came Gary's short answer.

Ash chuckled, a wide grin on his face. "Effort, time, energy, and a willingness to ask questions."

Dawn looked between the two of them. Behind the group and unseen by Dawn, Solana was shaking her head in exasperation. "Boys, don't be so cryptic."

Ash looked over his shoulder, grin still on his face. "I have said nothing which is not true."

In front, Dawn frowned. "But I want to win enough Ribbons to enter the Grand Festival. Will I have enough time to do so?"

"Yes," Ash said, his voice firm.

"Great, where do we start?"

"The first thing you need to think about is the team of Pokémon you want to build. How will they work with each other? What skill sets do you need? What roles will your Pokémon fill? Figure those kinds of things out. You have two Pokémon right now and frankly, you need at least a full team of six by the time you enter the Grand Festival. More may be better." Gary mused.

"I agree in part," Ash said. "Truthfully, you just need experience. We can help you with that. Every night, you and I will face off in a practice battle round. The goal being to help you start to develop your own style and to become more comfortable in that setting."

"Aren't Appeals more important? After all if I don't have a good Appeal, I may not get to the Battle round."

"Dawn, Gary and I are trainers at heart. Our passion has been and will continue to be the clash between two trainers. We can give you some general advice on how an Appeal works. That will be something you will need to create personally."

Dawn nodded slowly. "Okay, I think I got it. I have a couple more ideas for Appeals."

Ash turned back to Solana, walking backwards to show off a bit. "So what is your mission around Oreburgh City, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The Gym Leader, Roark, requested some help. Apparently the Oreburgh Mine is having problems. The Geodude and Onix native to the area are becoming more rare and the ones people have seen are restless. It seems like there is another Pokémon not normally found in the Mine stirring up trouble. At least that is the current thought process."

"Is it a Legendary?"

"Not everyone is you Ash. As far as the mission report goes, it is just a rarely found Pokémon in the area. The report indicates it may be an Aerodactyl."

Gary grinned as Ash groaned. "I have had some experience with fossil type Pokémon. Those Pokémon were the basis of my research and the subject of my Doctoral Thesis."

"I may need to make a call to an old friend if there is enough evidence it is an Aerodactyl." Ash muttered. "Charizard would never forgive me if I didn't bring him in for that fight."

"Why is that?" Dawn asked, "And Charizard?"

"I started in Kanto, Charizard is the final evolutionary form of one of the main starter Pokémon in the region. I actually found Charmander after he was abandoned by his trainer. Anyway, we stumbled into a cavern in Kanto filled with Fossil Pokémon. After evolving into Charizard, he fought against an Aerodactyl. I am not sure it was the result he was looking for and it ended up being something we had to work through."

"I remember that. It was a funny thing, that Aerodactyl tried to carry you off didn't it?"

"Laugh it up."

"Trust me I will."

"Anyway, the mission is to find a way to calm the situation down. If I need to defeat the Pokémon in charge, then that is the job I have. I should get more information from Roark when we arrive in Oreburgh City." Solana finished, mostly ignoring the two teen boys.

"Is it a hard job, being a Pokémon Ranger?" Dawn asked.

"It can be, there are definitely missions where you get hurt. Not just scrapes and bruises, but broken bones. On some missions, well, not everyone returns. Luckily, I have not had to deal with those situations as of yet."

Solana paused, tossing her bright blue hair slightly. "I am glad both of you have experience in this arena. Most of my missions as a Ranger have been in heavily forested area or jungles. To be honest, I am a bit concerned about fixing the problems in the mine."

"Is it really that different?" Dawn asked.

Shrugging, Solana replied. "Yes and no. As a Pokémon Ranger we work with local Pokémon a lot. In a jungle there tends to be a wide spectrum of Pokémon and Types of Pokémon. The information I have indicated there are only a few species native to the Mine. It will be different and more of a challenge. At least, that is what I expect."

"What ever I can do to help, let me know and we will solve the problem!" Ash claimed as they continued down the path.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That evening, Ash stood on one end of a clearing while Dawn stood on the other end. Starly floated above Ash's head while Eevee, Aipom, Pikachu, and Tauros watched from the side with Gary and Solana. Dawn and Piplup stood ready to challenge them.

"Right, Dawn, in a Contest battle, you have two main ways of winning. You can either make your Pokémon look really good or to make your opponent's Pokémon look bad. I am going to use Starly, so when you are ready."

Dawn nodded, "Go Piplup, Bubblebeam."

"Air raid."

As Piplup breathed out, sending bubbles hurtling through the air, Starly dove and weaved through the attack. The Flying Type bent a wing to slip out of the bubble filled air and started flying on a course with Piplup.

Dawn gulped, watching as Piplup stood there and Starly approached. At nearly the last moment, she called out. "Use Bide Piplup!"

With a short nod, Piplup centered himself as he was hammered by Starly's Wing Attack. Ash just watched as Starly rounded his flight path and with a blink struck home with an Aerial Ace. The Flying Type then rose quickly several feet to create space away from the Sinnoh Starter.

The crackling energy of Bide erupted as Piplup glowed red. The beam of energy lanced out through the air. Ash nodded, Starly was fairly strong so the returning damage from Bide would be extremely potent. Still, he was not worried as Starly tucked both wings and plummeted towards the ground. The bright beam of Bide shot wide and Starly, now under the attack, angled to charge at Piplup again.

"That is enough, come back Starly."

Dawn collapsed to her knees. It was one thing to see Ash in action, it was another to have him completely destroy you. She had no idea how to respond, how to react. He wasn't a Coordinator, but she could still see the grace his Pokémon used in avoiding her completely.

Ash walked across the small battlefield, stroking Starly's head as he passed. He sat down next to the stunned Coordinator.

"I demonstrated how to make your opponent look bad. Starly didn't do much damage, but from that point in the contest, the Judges would have been giving me a large point lead."

Dawn just knelt there, eyes sort of glazed gazing at the battlefield where Piplup stood panting.

"There are two things which really went wrong for you. First, you were facing a Pokémon with a lot of speed and the ability to dodge. This is something you are going to need to find a way around. Second, Piplup is limited in his attacks at the moment. He knows some good attacks, but they are not diverse enough."

Ash paused, checking to see if Dawn was listening. Her eyes had focused, but she was still staring at Piplup.

"I did some research. Piplup can learn a couple of really interesting moves. For example, Rock Tomb, Dig, or more importantly Blizzard and a suite of Ice attacks."

At this Dawn did shift her gaze from her tired Starter to Ash.

"We are done battling today. You are going to learn how to teach your Pokémon a new attack."

The young Coordinator nodded her agreement.

Ash stood up and extended his hand, she took it and he pulled her up. With a smile he walked over to the watching crowd. Dawn followed him quietly.

Gary nodded as she sat down. "Ash is right, you need a diverse set of Pokémon and a diverse set of moves. It does you no good to only play to your strengths. It lets people figure you out."

"To start, choose one of your Pokémon." Ash said.

Dawn pulled out her other Pokéball. "Buneary tonight, Piplup is tired."

"Good choice," Ash murmured. He raised his voice. "The next step is harder. What move are you going to teach Buneary?"

"How do I chose that?"

"First, pull out your Pokédex." Gary instructed. "Scan Buneary and there will be a menu. From the menu it will have an option to find moves the Pokémon can learn. Choose from that list."

Dawn did as she was told and a few moments later looked up. "Buneary can learn a lot of different moves, how can I pick?"

"Consider places of weakness. You are currently having trouble with defending against speed and Buneary is a Normal Type, meaning she is weak against Fighting types. Is there a move which would help against either of those enemies?"

"I . . . I guess I don't know." Dawn admitted.

Solana held out her hand. "Could I take a look?"

As Dawn handed over her Pokédex, Ash smiled. "Buneary knows Ice Beam, isn't that right?"

"It is." Dawn said.

"Can she learn a Water Type attack?"

"It looks like she can learn Water Pulse and Rain Dance." Solana answered, quickly scrolling through the move list.

"Dawn, are there Contests where you can use two Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"There are a couple where in the Appeal round it is required to use two Pokémon." Dawn said after a moment of thought.

Ash grinned. "Piplup can learn Ice attacks, Buneary can learn Water and Ice attacks. What does that mean to you?"

"That I can combine the attacks and do something bigger with Water and Ice."

"Exactly. Pick one of the Water Attacks for now. Water Pulse is probably a bit easier."

"Okay, I will teach Buneary Water Pulse."

"Send her out."

With a flash of light, Buneary appeared, her fluffy curls held in her paws. As Buneary was sent out, Solana handed Dawn back her Pokédex.

Gary took over. "Your Pokédex has a description of how the move works, how the move looks, and the effect of the move. Use that to teach Buneary about the attack and how to use it."

"I can do that." Dawn said, her voice growing ever steadier as she replied.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Solana sat next to the two teen boys. Dawn, her Pokémon laying next to her, was passed out cold. She had practiced for essentially the entire evening and was rightfully tired. To the general surprise of the rest of the group, Buneary had learned both Water Pulse and Rain Dance while Piplup learned Blizzard. Dawn had been thrilled and both boys were quick to shower her with praise.

Ash was taking notes in his binder about his Pokémon, while Gary was taking notes about the interactions for the day.

"Are you sure you can teach her? I mean neither of you are Coordinators and both of you are just a few years older than she is. Aren't you worried about that?"

Ash shrugged as Gary ignored the conversation. "I don't want to fail her but I am not worried about teaching her. Either it works and Dawn is incredibly happy at winning a lot of Contests, or we change our strategy. Right now, the goal is to guide her towards finding the answer for herself. I see a lot of the passion which drives me in her. She will do great."

"Okay, I mean I am not that much older than you all and I would be worried about stepping into the teacher role."

"Solana, I am incredibly worried. I don't want to turn her into me, but I don't exactly know how to turn her into Dawn. It is something I am not ready for and something I am keeping a close eye on." Ash sighed as he took a quick note in the margins. "All I can do is help her the best I can. Nothing more and nothing less."

Gary didn't look up from his notes as he commented. "Ash is a fairly good teacher. You can tell she respects him and his ideas. He put her on the path towards something she can truly embrace."

Ash looked at his old friend. "That was quite poetic."

"Shut up. You are a good guy and Dawn is lucky to be learning from you Ashy-boy."

"Whatever you say."

"Exactly," Gary smirked as Ash rolled his eyes.

Solana chuckled at their exchange. "I am glad to hear it. Anyway, I actually wanted to talk to the two of you about the mission a bit more. It is definitely more complicated then I described today."

At her words, the two boys closed their work and looked at her intently. She paused, unsure of how to start the briefing before finally deciding.

"Have the two of you ever heard of Team Galactic?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Oreburgh City did not glisten or shine, the rocky crags of the nearby mountains dominated the skyline. Dust and dirt seemed to be everywhere. It was a nice town, some new buildings even. Still it was a working town, with the entrance to the mine easily seen from outside of town.

As Ash and his friends walked into town, they could feel the uneasiness. There was something in the air. Mine workers, men and women, were sitting around on porches and talking with the sun still high in the sky. Children played softly off the to the side, but still near their families. Pokémon, mostly Rock and Fighting types, kept glancing at the Mine. Tauros threw his head, letting out a grunt. Gary ran a hand through his hair. "We need to get to the Pokémon Center. I would like to hear about what is going on here."

Solana looked at the restless Normal Type Pokémon. "I agree."

Ash nodded and started looking for the distinctive red roof of the Pokémon Center. "I hope I can get a transfer in. Gary you may want to call in reinforcements."

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"I only have Umbreon with me. Umbreon is smart and talented. Ash is suggesting I would need a more dangerous Pokémon in the near future."

"Why is that?" Solana asked.

"I remember Greenfield and the incident there."

After a moment Gary nodded, "I remember hearing about that. There was a crystal surrounding a building, an Entei, and your Mom was captured."

"I don't remember this at all." Solana muttered.

"Things were resolved the same day. The Entei was created by a number of Unknown in an attempt to make a little girl happy. Her parents had disappeared, if I remember right both of her parents returned through the power of the Unknown. It was an interesting day. But the stillness around the town reminds me of the area we passed through heading towards the Greenfield mansion."

"How many Legendary Pokémon have you fought?" Solana demanded, thinking back to their earlier conversation.

"I don't remember, it really isn't that big of a deal. Though, I think I do want to include Charizard. He will definitely get a kick out of this."

Gary's hand shifted to rubbing his temples. "You think a Legendary Pokémon is involved?"

"Nope." Ash replied confidently.

"Why?" Gary demanded, irritated with Ash's eagerness to confront whatever danger lay in front of them.

Ash smirked. "When were you assigned this case, Solana?"

"About ten days ago."

Ash pointed at her as he turned to Gary. "If there was a Legendary involved, the situation would either be resolved or a lot worse. What I have found is if a Legendary Pokémon is in trouble, the situation moves quickly and decisively. I don't see signs of a significant Pokémon battle or anything beyond anxiety. We should move to address the situation, but no Legendary Pokémon are involved."

"Um, Ash?" Dawn asked, "Do you think I am ready to be involved in what ever this is?"

He shrugged. "If you want to be involved, you are ready. Depending on the situation, nobody else may be able to help you out."

Dawn blinked. "Do you think I should be involved?"

Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Dawn, there are obstacles to anything in life. Confronting the wrong obstacle at the wrong time can be devastating. However, if you are able to stand up to something terrifying and to win, it is a moment you will never forget."

He paused. "Think about it like a Contest, but more dangerous. In a Contest, you can participate without being ready and with a good draw win a Ribbon. The same thing when you are saving the world. You may not be ready, but by the time the problem is solved, you will see you were ready all along."

Gary sighed at Ash's description, but he knew the talented trainer had lucked out again and gotten to the inexperienced Coordinator. So he didn't say anything, instead he decided to follow Ash's advice. He could bring in some reinforcements.

Solana just muttered complaints to herself. Ash was a mystery to her, his numerous run-ins with various elements of Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua along with encounters with Legendary Pokémon earmarked him as special. There was something about everything he had been through. There was a call to make. The first story Ash told them was of the island Shamouti. Perhaps there was a hint there.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The group quietly entered the Pokémon Center and immediately were addressed by a voice.

"Well you took your time getting here."

To the side of the main door, Paul lounged on a couch. His jacket was zipped up and he was messing with his Pokédex.

"Paul." Ash greeted him.

"What are you doing here anyway?" The purple haired trainer demanded.

"Well, I wanted to battle Roark."

Paul snorted. "A runt like you couldn't do a thing against a Gym Leader like Roark. Anyway, he won't even face me right now. Something about how the safety of the mine is more important. Ridiculous."

Gary laid his hand on Ash's shoulder opposite Pikachu. "Didn't facing Ash give you an idea of his talent? And if you are so interested in facing Roark, why aren't you giving him a hand."

"Don't be foolish. I am training my Pokémon and when Roark returns to his Gym, I will crush him. You friend there got lucky and next time I won't be so nice."

"Gary, we have phone calls to make. Besides, Paul here was generous enough to help us out. We know where to go next."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Liza how are you?" Ash asked as he sat in front of one of the video phones.

The green haired woman, wearing red leather clothing smiled as she replied. "I am doing great. Charicific Valley is just as beautiful and wonderful as always. Charizard has been wondering if you were going to call him in at anytime for the Sinnoh League after hearing from Professor Oak about your new journey."

"That is actually why I am calling. I have run across a potentially interesting situation. I was wondering if you could send Charizard over?"

"Is it the end of the world again?"

"Probably not, just an old rival Pokémon Type. I think there may be an Aerodactyl involved and Charizard has wanted to test himself against that species before."

"Alright, I just installed a transfer machine, so I will send him over. Just give me a call when everything is over and let me know how it went!"

"I will, I promise."

A Pokéball appeared on the machine next to the phone. "Liza, Charizard arrived. Thanks for your help."

"Anytime, Ash, anytime."

The line cut off, but instead of wandering off, Ash made another phone call.

In the screen a young man wearing a green shirt and a bandana answered the call. "Hey Ash, Professor Oak is on the other line. Can I do anything for you?"

"It is fine Tracey, he is probably getting the full story. Anyway, I am taking Charizard into battle and I want Quilava to see the potential with Fire Types. Do you think you could send her over?"

"From Professor Oak's notes, that will put you at Twelve. Do you want to transfer anyone back to the Ranch?"

"Hopefully I will be sending Charizard and Quilava back today or tomorrow. There is something of a situation in the Oreburgh City Mine and I am helping out."

"Understood. Quilava is on her way."

Again a Pokéball materialized in the nearby machine.

"Thanks Tracey, talk to you later."

"Good luck Ash and stay safe."

"I will."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gary sat quietly in front of a videophone, his grandfather hastily taking notes.

"You say he noticed the strange atmosphere first?"

"That is right Gramps. In fact, he said that clearly no Legendary Pokémon was involved. And gave reasons to support the proposition. Face it, he should not be a Trainer beyond this League. He is too good. Either he needs to challenge to replace a member of an Elite Four or join the Pokémon Rangers."

"I know he is good, but he is a bit young for either role. Besides, he already turned down being a Pokémon Ranger and a Frontier Brain."

Gary shook his head. "It wasn't presented correctly. Look the truth is a Trainer of his quality cannot be wasted like this. He needs to be involved somehow."

"You know, I have heard the same thing about you."

"I am planning on returning to the laboratory, don't worry about that."

"No, there are interested parties thinking you should be a Gym Leader or some other position of trust and authority."

Gary paused, running a hand through his hair. "You are saying I should be conscious of the fact I am a talented trainer and it is a waste of my skills to be a scientist in some people's eyes and I need to trust in myself to find the path I should walk?"

"If you say so. Do you have a piece of paper?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Please take this down and share it with Solana."

Gary sat up straight and placed pencil to paper.

"This is from an inscription on Shamouti Island: Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning Lest these titans wreak destruction Upon the world in which they clash Though the Water's Great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting Alone its song will fail Thus the earth shall turn to ash."

Gary looked up at the video screen. "Is that ash volcanic, metaphoric, or a name?"

"It is not clear, another translation was: Unless an exceptional Trainer appears to calm the wrath of the gods."

"Those translations seem very different."

"Exactly. Take them to Solana. The Pokémon Rangers like to collect prophesy and perhaps they may have more luck investigating it."

"Alright Gramps, I will. Thanks for sending my Pokémon."

"My pleasure. Tell me, do you think it is something serious? You asked for some of your most powerful Pokémon."

Gary passed his hand over the five transferred Pokéballs, naming them in his head as he did so. Blastoise, Arcanine, Scizor, Alakazam, Nidoking.

"Honestly, I don't know and I am hoping this is overkill. Ash seems to think it may be necessary. He brought in Charizard, but I don't think he is making other changes. I just don't know."

After a minute Professor Oak nodded. "Very well. Let me know how it all turns out."

"I will."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Solana pushed away from the video phone she had used to call into the closest Ranger Station. Apparently, the Rangers there had been informed by Roark that he wanted to stay near the Mine to minimize the chance for a disastrous shift in the situation until a Ranger could arrive to help.

She had described Ash's instincts to them and been surprised with the Ranger Captain shook his head. "I had hoped he would join up, but he is too good. He would be wasted here."

Then the Captain continued with the report, noting observations of several Team Galactic members in the area.

She turned around as Gary approached her, a piece of paper in his hand. He took a seat next to her and extended the paper to her. She took it and waited, not looking down.

"My Grandfather thought the Rangers may like to see this. It is part of a prophecy from Shamouti Island." Gary said, diving right into the heart of the conversation.

Solana looked down and read the words, her eyes stopping on the last word of the first stanza: ash. "Does he have an interpretation of this?"

"He didn't mention one to me, but I would expect he does. After all, he has been around a while."

She turned back around and hit the redial button. "Thank you for this, I am going to send it in to see if the professional's can figure out the role of this prophecy in everything."

Gary stood up, "I understand. Thank you for taking this seriously."

"Honestly, with the stories he has told, I personally am leaning towards a name. The only problem is most of the time a prophesy isn't usually so clear."

"I agree," Gary murmured as he went to go stand near Ash and Dawn.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash, Dawn, and Gary waited by the counter with Nurse Joy for Solana. Nurse Joy was doing some paperwork as the trainers talked and generally took up space in front of her. Solana's second phone call was taking a bit longer than they expected, only Ash was frustrated with the delay.

Paul, his purple bangs covering his eyes moved in front of the group. Paul's Elekid stood near his feet with his arms crossed, glaring at Ash's Pikachu and Aipom who were on their trainer's shoulders and Eevee at Ash's feet. Sitting very properly, Ash's Absol was focused on a point beyond the walls of the Pokémon Center Lobby. Dawn held Piplup in her arms as Gary's Umbreon paced around the area.

Ash smiled as the other trainer approached. "What can we do for you Paul?"

"You are heading up to the Mine?"

"Yes," Gary replied curtly.

"I want in."

Ash shrugged. "Fine with me. Solana is in charge though, so you will have to ask her."

"I am not asking."

Dawn rolled her eyes, while neither Gary or Ash reacted to the statement. Paul did not want a response either as he walked away to lean against the main entrance as he waited for them to leave.

Ash shook his head and looked down at his Absol. "You okay buddy?"

"Sool."

Before Ash could seek clarification, Solana joined them. "Right, we are behind schedule. You are all coming?"

"We were hoping." Dawn said.

"Then let's go."

As the group headed out, Paul fell in behind. Solana noticed almost immediately. "Are you going to be a problem?"

"No."

"Fine, then if I or Gym Leader Roark tell you to do something, we expect you to do it. Do you understand? Do all of you understand?"

A chorus of "Yes" came from the young trainers.

Solana just shook her head in slight frustration and continued to lead the group through town.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash glanced up into the sky, there were a few clouds and the sun was starting its downward descent. He pulled out a couple of Pokéballs and tossed them into the air. In a flash of light, Swellow and Starly emerged.

"Would the two of you mind looking around? We are headed towards the Mine."

Solana glanced back as his Pokémon responded.

"Sweelll!"

"Ly!"

"Ash, was that necessary? The reports all indicate the only trouble is in the Mine."

"I think it was, Solana. I am worried that the main issue is near the Mine and the Mine itself is a distraction."

Gary nodded with Ash's explanation. "It would be a good ploy. Attract attention to one location and strike somewhere else with more discretion."

"Mostly I am not sure how competent Team Galactic is. If they are like Team Rocket, it is all about the Mine. For Team Aqua and Team Magma, there would be another objective." Ash explained.

"I doubt you know anything about the Teams." Paul snorted.

Ash ignored him, focusing on the entrance to the Mine. The entrance was visible now, though only barely. Metal doors had been built into the side of the mountain, but instead of a normal height the doors were about a foot shorter. On each side of the door, conveyor belts that normally carried coal and other targets of the mine were stopped.

Solana frowned. "Where is Roark? He was supposed to be here."

"Perhaps he is just inside the Mine." Dawn suggested.

Suddenly the doors opened and Roark tumbled out, his Geodude next to him. He was dressed in a Mine worker's uniform, with a lamp on his orange-red hard hat. His dark red hair and square glasses identifying him.

The group ran to his side, Solana putting a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I was outnumbered to much. There are ten members of Team Galactic in there. They are trying to find fossils in this old Mine for some reason."

Ash frowned while Gary rolled his neck. "What Pokémon are being used?"

"What?" Roark asked.

"What Pokémon species are Team Galactic using?" Gary repeated.

"I noticed a lot of Zubat, Glameow, and Stunky"

"So it was numbers not quality. Okay, Dawn and I can handle this." Gary said.

Roark arched an eyebrow. "Really, I am a Gym Leader. Do you think you can do better than me?"

Gary smirked and pulled out three Pokéballs and with a flash was flanked by Arcanine, Alakazam, and Nidoking. "Yeah, I do."

Solana stood up straight. "Roark, I know you have other Pokémon. Use them and go with Gary and Dawn. Clear the Mine. Ash is right, there is something else going on here."

As she spoke Swellow dove from the sky to land on Gary's shoulder. "Sweell well swee low."

Ash nodded and looked down at Absol who was looking away from the Mine and not towards the direction Swellow had appeared. "Solana, Swellow says there are a couple of members of Team Galactic in some trees just outside of the Mine area. Starly is watching them."

"Alright, Paul, Ash come with me to round them up."

Paul nodded but Ash shook his head in the negative. "Actually, I want to see where Absol is leading me. Eevee, will you go with Solana?"

"Vee?"

"Yeah, I just want you to see another option for you going forward."

"Ee."

Eevee wandered over towards Solana, tail hanging a bit. Ash smiled at his Pokémon. "I know it is tough, but we will see each other later today."

"What a worthless Pokémon. It still can't fight? I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago."

"That is why you are a terrible trainer." Ash shot back. "Alright, Absol. You have a danger sense. Lead on."

Absol nodded once sharply and started loping away, towards the hills on the right side of the Mine entrance. Ash smiled at his friends and ran off, Pikachu and Aipom running with him.

Solana sighed. "I hope he doesn't hurt himself. Swellow will you lead me and Paul to this other group?"

"Low!"

Swellow took off and Solana, Paul, and Eevee ran after the Flying type.

"Dawn, follow me and contribute as you see fit. Are you ready?" Paul asked.

Dawn looked at the door to the mine and let Piplup down. "Yeah, I am."

Roark straightened his hard hat and tossed a Pokéball, sending out an Onix in a big flash of white. "Let's go Onix, Geodude."

The three stepped towards the Mine.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gary shook his head. Dawn had been able to take one of the Team Galactic trainers one on one and Roark had made up for his earlier doomed endeavor with Onix easily defeating another four trainers.

The sound of battle had attracted attention though and another several Team Galactic members appeared. Gary, while rusty, was still a highly ranked trainer. Alakazam was a bit limited as there were a number of Dark Type Pokémon, but Arcanine and Nidoking ran rampant. They devastated ten Team Galactic members.

Gary looked around as the situation quieted down, Alakazam using his psychic powers to hold the defeated Team Galactic. "Roark, wasn't there supposed to be unrest between Geodude, Onix, and an Aerodactyl?"

"Yeah, but the Mine is clear and I barely see evidence of fighting for territory."

Dawn looked between the two of them. "What does that mean?"

"Ash was right. The Mine is a diversion." Gary said.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Solana and Paul stood over five defeated members of Team Galactic. Swellow and Starly had aided Solana and her Plusle, while Paul assisted with his Torterra.

In the clearing were cages of Geodude, further back was a young Onix in a cage. The Pokémon all looked down, none were even fighting very much.

"A poaching staging area. A transport must be coming fairly soon to pick up these Pokémon as cargo." Solana said, choosing her words carefully.

She stepped forward and started to rummage through the pockets of one of the tied up Team Galactic members. After a moment she pulled out a ring of keys. "Perfect. Alright, Paul help me release these Pokémon back into the wild."

Paul nodded with a grunt.

As the two humans worked together to release the various illegally captured Pokémon, Eevee's eyes flicked from them to the joyful expressions on the fleeing and now free Pokémon's faces. The battle had been one thing, this was something else all together.

"Though I don't understand. What is Team Galactic doing acting as Poachers? It isn't their normal style." Solana mused.

"More importantly, where are the rest of them? Shouldn't there be more people involved if the goal was to steal so many Pokémon?" Paul asked, his normal acerbic tone missing as he was herding the released Pokémon away from the area.

Solana looked at him sharply then in the direction Ash headed.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Absol had slowed down a lot, letting Ash and his Pokémon step carefully. Speed was important, but at times, being sneaky was more important.

The Pokémon typically referred to as the Disaster Pokémon stalked quietly through rocky quarry. They had slipped over the hill and came to an even older mining operation where there was no vegetation. Boulders were all around. Ash removed his jacket a while ago to get rid of the reflective white on it. Using his black tee-shirt for camouflage was a step up, even if it wasn't perfect.

They came up a slight rise and looked down onto a camp. There were some twenty Team Galactic grunts going from here to there, mostly looking busy. Cages were placed here and there, though it looked like they were all empty. A number of tents were pitched, giving shade for the night and Ash couldn't make out if any of the tents had additional people in there. In the middle of the camp, a scientist, identifiable by his long white lab coat was talking to one of the grunts, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

Ash was too far away to hear what they were saying, but honestly, that didn't matter. He knew what they were discussing. Chained up in front of the scientist was a Pokémon. The grey Pokémon was easily six feet tall, the purple underwing was flashed and Ash estimated its wing span was about the same as its height. The long tail with a spade shaped tip and pronounced underbite finished off the dragon looking Pokémon.

An Aerodactyl.

Team Galactic either had just captured the Pokémon or was looking to use the Pokémon to create trouble. That much was clear. What to do?

He didn't have enough information. He could charge in there and make a mess of the camp. But he had no idea of if he needed to free the Aerodactyl or if it would just attack him if he did.

Well, no that wasn't quite true. Aerodactyl were just not that civilized. Setting it free would lead to more chaos as it would attack everyone.

Ash looked to the left and saw a couple of trucks parked, the back of the trucks were flat, ready for objects such as cages to be placed on them.

Taking a deep breath, Ash looked to Absol. "This is the biggest trouble in the area?"

"Ab Absol."

"Okay, everything else is being handled then?"

"Sol Ab."

"Then I guess this one is up to me."

"Ab Ab sol Absol."

"Is waiting an option."

Absol seemed torn for a moment before shaking her head. As she did, her chin dropped and Absol glared heatedly at the ground.

"Well, then, I guess it is time to go in with guns blazing."

Absol looked up, eyes widening. Ash rubbed her head, carful of the sharp, curved horn.

"Take a good rest. Everything will be better when we are done."

Absol nodded and in a flash of red light disappeared. Ash looked over the edge before backing up and hoping he wouldn't be seen. Flashes of white proliferated for a moment. Standing in front of Ash were most of his available Pokémon. Pikachu, Aipom, Tauros, Turtwig, Gastly, Totodile, Charizard, Quilava. A force to be reckoned with.

"Charizard, there is an Aerodactyl down there. As soon as we make our presence known, I would guess they are going to set it loose. Deal with it. Quilava, Turtwig, Gastly, I want the three of you to stay here and watch. You three are going to learn what you will soon be capable of. Quilava, watch Charizard in particular."

The three Pokémon nodded sullenly, with Gastly bobbing in the air.

Ash turned to the remaining four Pokémon. "There is a Team Galactic base below us. We are going to capture it."

The four Pokémon exchanged a brief look before nodding in unison, there was some worry. "Then let's go."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When considering the strongest Pokémon Trainers in the world, there is a certain image associated with the idea of them. They are larger than life figures with this ability to calm situations down, to talk things through. At the same time, when the situation calls for it, these Trainers can become oppressive forces.

Their power, the power of their Pokémon comes to the forefront and even the least observant person around knows the anger of the strongest Trainers. Lance, with his Dragonite and Red Gyarados, stands guard over Kanto and Johto. His power commanding the respect of two regions. Steven Stone of Hoenn with his Metagross and Aggron holds firm in protecting the region, though rumors abound he is going to step aside for Wallace and his Milotic. Then there is Cynthia with her Garchamp. Cynthia holds sway over Sinnoh.

Of course, there are other Trainers who are on the cusp of becoming such dangerous people. Trainers like those in the Elite Four, a couple Battle Frontier Brains, a Gym leader here and there, for example. However, the most terrifying are those who are content with traveling. They are unexpected and can change situations almost at a whim.

Trainers like Jon Dickson of Sento Cherry Town, and Tyson from Mauville City.

Other trainers such as Gary Oak and Ritchie from Kanto, Harrison and Katie from Hoenn, and, to be honest, Paul from Sinnoh, are all making their claims to be in the conversation.

There is one traveling Trainer who people are keeping an eye on and in the next couple of years is expected to surpass many of those named.

Ash Ketchum.

A nice boy. A good boy. Dedicated to his Pokémon, enjoys training and learning how to train himself and his Pokémon better.

The question is if when angered can he become like the Champions? Can he become a natural disaster?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash, never known for his subtlety, walked straight down the hill towards the Team Galactic Camp.

Next to him came Tauros, while Aipom and Pikachu rode on his shoulders and Totodile cheerfully skipped on his other side. Not exactly the picture of danger or power.

Until a Team Galactic Grunt sent out her Zubat. The poor Pokémon was immediately fried.

The woman ran away yelling, having seen his eyes. Shadowed by his cap, Ash's normally tranquil brown eyes seemed to glow with lightning and fire.

A moment later, a handful of Team Galactic members sent out a cluster of Stunky and Glameow to hold him back. A single finger gesture sent Tauros charging forward.

The Take Down attack speared straight through the center of the formation before Tauros came to a stop right before the Team Galactic trainers. The entire formation of five Pokémon fell back to the earth behind the snorting Pokémon.

The entire camp was now aware of Ash's presence. Flashes of light indicated masses of Stunky, Glameow, and Zubat were now in his way.

Ash didn't even say anything. He kept walking. His Pokémon, however, were not so passive. Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder to a boulder and then from boulder to boulder. Lighting flashed out. Each time an electric attack struck, another Pokémon was rendered unconscious.

Aipom also leapt from Ash's shoulder and with a spin sent a swift attack into a group of Glameow. Ash's Aipom leapt in, using a variety of surprising attacks, including Thunderbolts, Water Pulses, Focus Punches, Iron Tails, and Fury Swipes.

Tauros, true to its species, rampaged through the camp. Charging threw tents and Pokémon alike. Tauros' Horn Attack laid waste to each and every challenger he met.

Totodile danced in front of Ash, using Water Gun to snipe any Pokémon from Team Galactic that dared to come to close to his trainer. The constant dancing, Dragon Dance, continued to power up the small Pokémon. Occasionally the Water Type Starter from Johto would throw in an Ice Beam or, in rare cases, a Hydro Pump. The powerful little Pokémon cleared the way, leaving Ash the freedom to walk where ever he wanted.

And Ash wanted to walk to the center of the camp.

To his slight surprise, the Aerodactyl had yet to be released. The scientist stood waiting for him.

"Who are you?" The scientist demanded as soon as Ash was in hearing range.

"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

"How are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Defeating twenty Team Galactic members, each carrying multiple Pokémon with just four Pokémon?"

"I trained my Pokémon well."

"You are a freak and you are ruining my experiment."

"What experiment?"

"I revived this Aerodactyl from a rare fossil called Old Amber. Since then, I have been working on training this beast. I plan to set him loose on Oreburgh City to destroy everything in his path. To get him ready, I have been having Aerodactyl fight every Geodude and Onix in his path."

"You are not going to do that."

"I am and you will not be able to stop me. All of your Pokémon are engaged elsewhere and Aerodactyl will take care of your little Totodile without much trouble."

Totodile crossed his arms and spit a Water Gun over the scientist's shoulder, taking out a Zubat that had fluttered to close to the conversation.

Ash shrugged. "Perhaps. Now, answer me something. Who are you? What is your role in Team Galactic?"

"There is no reason for me to answer you. No body knows you are here and by the time they find you, you will be of no use."

"Actually, I am in the area with a Gym Leader and a Pokémon Ranger, as well as a couple other Trainers. They should be on their way soon."

"Very well." The scientist turned and pressed a button on a remote while pointing it at the chained Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl destroy this Ash Ketchum, destroy him completely."

"You made a mistake."

The scientist spun around, eyes widened and nostrils flared. Ash continued. "You assumed I only have Four Pokémon with me. That is not quite correct. I have several others, including that one."

Ash lazily used his left hand to point to the sky where a dark shape was floating over him. The shadow dove with a massive roar that shook the entire quarry.

Aerodactyl didn't wait for the scientist's instructions. Instead, the Rock and Flying Type leapt into the air to meet the challenge with a roar of his own.

Not thirty feet overhead, Charizard spun quickly out of his dive, using his Dragon Tail to slam into Aerodactyl. The ancient Pokémon's rapid ascent was halted and reversed at double the speed. With a thump, a cloud of dust rose from where Aerodactyl hit the ground behind the scientist.

Aerodactyl was not going to let Charizard get away with such a cheep shot and returned fire with a Hyper Beam. Charizard rolled out of the way and sent a Flamethrower towards the grounded Pokémon.

Generally Rock Pokémon can take any Fire Type around without too much trouble. However, the simple Flamethrower attack singed Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl pumped his wings and jumped back into the air. Ash could see the damage Aerodactyl had taken from those two moves. "Charizard, Dragonbreath and Overheat to take it out."

Charizard nodded and took a deep breath and released a stream of purple flames, striking Aerodactyl in his face. The Rock and Flying type shook his head as the attack connected, but didn't seem to be too injured.

Then a flash of white hot flame passed through the air, distorting the sky as the heat burned towards Aerodactyl. The Overheat struck, pushing Aerodactyl away. After several seconds, Ash's Charizard stopped the attack and Aerodactyl plummeted to the ground on the far edge of the Team Galactic camp.

With a snap of his wings Charizard landed next to Ash. Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder as did Aipom. Tauros' charge stopped on Ash's other side. The scientist faced off against Ash and his five Pokémon, none looking like they wanted to befriend him.

"Wh Who are you?" The scientist stuttered out.

"I told you, I am Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, winner of the Orange League, winner of the Ever Grande Conference, winner of the Kanto Battle Frontier, and soon to be winner of the Lily of the Valley Conference. The better question is who are you?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gary, Dawn, and Roark had been the first to come upon Ash's watching Pokémon. Looking down below, they could see the effect Ash was having on the camp. Roark started forward, but Gary placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Ash has got this."

"But there is no way to know how many Team Galactic Pokémon are involved and it looks like Ash only sent out four of his own."

"Ash has got this." Gary repeated, firmly.

Roark shook his head but did not make any attempt to move forward.

Solana and Paul were next. Swellow and Starly landed on a rock above them and Eevee quickly moved to sit next to Quilava.

Paul's mouth dropped as the various attacks from the four known Pokémon stopped and the camp fell into silence.

"I guess we better help clean up." Solana said and as she lifted her foot to move forward the entire quarry shook.

Gary shook his head. "Aerodactyl has not been dealt with yet."

From above came the diving shadow of Charizard.

Roark and Paul watched, eyes widening and mouth's dropping. The Aerodactyl, one of the most dangerous predators from a bygone age was being treated like a minor stepping stone. When Charizard's Overheat melted the air, Paul dropped to his knees. Dawn's legs were shaking and Roark was already wondering if he had any chance in a Gym Battle with the Trainer below.

Gary started forward. "You are right Solana, it is time to help clean up."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Unfortunately, Ash never got his question answered. Soon after his friends had appeared, so did Officer Jenny and a large contingent of police showed up to collect the Team Galactic Members from the area.

Gary stood over the fallen Aerodactyl. Not to guard it, but considering if he could capture the Pokémon.

Ash moved to stand next to his old friend. "That Aerodactyl is one dangerous Pokémon. I got the sense the Team Galactic mission leader was mistreating him. I would be concerned with Aerodactyl's mental state."

"I know, more importantly, I am concerned with if Aerodactyl needs to be taken by the police for evidence."

Ash nodded at Gary's logic. "Then ask Solana. She would have the authority to grant release to you."

"I think I will."

As they talked, Solana walked up to them.

"Thank you both, you have done so much for this mission. I wouldn't have been able to solve the problem alone. Thank you so much. If you weren't involved, I don't think I would have found the other parts of the operation. Roark and I would have only cleared out the Mine. Nothing more."

Ash shrugged. "My pleasure."

"Could I capture that Aerodactyl?" Gary asked.

Solana chuckled at the question. "Of course, Aerodactyl needs to be rehabilitated. While Ash could have done it, you have done research on the species, isn't that right Gary?"

"It is."

"Well, rehabilitate Aerodactyl and continue your research, with the complements of the Pokémon Rangers."

"It won't interfere with your investigation?"

"No, we have enough evidence from elsewhere."

Gary turned and tossed a Pokéball at the still prone Aerodactyl. The giant Pokémon disappeared in a flash of red light, the Pokéball barely shifting before issuing a ding of capture and vanishing to be transported to Professor Oak's Ranch.

Solana turned to Ash. "Paul has returned to the Pokémon Center. He said something about wanting to talk to you later and Roark said you would be his next challenger. Roark was hoping to battle tomorrow, if that is acceptable for you."

"It is, I need to talk to a couple of my Pokémon and plan for the Gym Battle. Tomorrow is soon enough."

After a few moments of pleasantries, Solana returned to the clean up while Gary headed back to the Pokémon Center. Ash instead head to where he had left his Pokémon.

Seeing the six Pokémon he had sent out earlier and Dawn, Ash smiled.

"You were very impressive." Dawn said quietly, "Do you think you can help me reach your level?"

"Not by the time the Grand Festival occurs. It takes years. But I am happy to help you get on the right path."

"Thank you."

Ash started to return his Pokémon, kind words on his lips and promises to talk later. "We should get to the Pokémon Center. It has been a long day and tomorrow has a lot involved."

"Sounds good."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Paul wasn't there when Ash returned, so the Trainer from Pallet Town headed up to one of the rooms his group had rented. He was sharing with Gary, but as the young Professor was talking to his Gramps, Ash had the room to himself for the time being. Dawn was out back talking with Piplup and Buneary, while there was no need to worry, it was also true there was a long way for her to go.

Ash sent out Charizard and Quilava first. He was quite glad Charizard didn't set the room on fire, instead recognizing the Pokémon Center decor and curling in on himself a little bit. Quilava looked up at the powerful Fire Type from Kanto before turning to Ash with a, "Lava?"

"Did you learn anything today, Quilava?"

The Johto Fire Type looked up at Charizard again before speaking. "Quil quil lava la lava?"

As she spoke, she held her front paws together parallel to the floor before spreading them. Ash listened carefully and replied. "No, I am not suggesting you evolve. I wanted you to see some of the power I think you can obtain. If you want to evolve, that is up to you. I will help you as much as I can, but it needs to be entirely your decision."

"Quil lava lava?"

"That is right, you have the ability to produce as hot of a flame as Charizard."

"Lava Quil la lava la?"

"Exactly, you needed to see where you are and how far you can grow. What you do with that information is up to you. Charizard, do you mind if I send you back to Professor Oak's Ranch to talk with Quilava before going back to the Charicific Valley?"

"Char Char."

Ash smiled before returning the two Fire types. "Glad to hear it. Alright, time for the next two."

This time he released Starly and Swellow. "Hey you two, I am glad things wen well with Solana. I just wanted to see if the two of you were okay and if you two needed anything."

"Swell Swellow."

"Ly Star Starly."

"Okay, I can do that Starly. Swellow are you sure you want to head back?"

"Swell low low Swell." Swellow declared with a flap of his wings.

"If you are sure then that is how we will do it." He returned the two Flying types before sending out Gastly and Absol.

"Absol, thank you. You helped us so much more than I expected and I promise I will work with you more."

"Sol Ab Absol Ab."

"That is right, you will be fantastic. Gastly, did you learn anything?"

"Gaast Gaaaaastly. GaAAastly."

"Okay, we can do some more work together too. It sounds like you are excited about what you could become."

Again Ash returned the Pokémon. Next he sent out Tauros, Aipom, and Totodile. After quickly praising them and confirming he was planning to use Totodile against Roark, he returned the three Pokémon. He held the final two Pokéball's in his hand, almost ready to talk to the last two of his Pokémon. He paused and twitched his hand, tossing only one Pokéball.

"Hey Turtwig. What are you thinking?"

"Wig Turt Turtwig wig Turt."

"Really, you decided you wanted to evolve from that? Charizard was that impressive?"

"Turt turt wig."

"If that is what you want, we can get moving on that path. I just want to let you know, evolution can change you a lot. You will probably gain a lot of mass and perhaps other changes as well. Are you sure about this?"

"Turt." Turtwig said with a little salute.

"If you are sure, then that is what we are going to do. The next step will be tomorrow. I am going to lead off with you in the Gym Battle against Roark. Are you okay with that?"

"Wig Turtwig."

"Good to hear it. Rest up for now." Ash said as he returned the Grass Type. He shifted things around and soon was looking at the last Pokéball. With a flick of his wrist, Eevee sat in front of him. Her tail curled around her back legs and her four paws were close together as she looked up at her trainer.

She tilted her head. "Ee eevee ee vee vee eevee eevee. Eevee, vee vee. Eevee."

Ash leaned back against one of the beds. "Really?"

"Vee eevee vee."

"No, no I believe you. I am just surprised. You haven't indicated any desire before. I am glad you found something you want to do. Helping people huh? Yeah, I can work with that. But Eevee, one of the things you need to remember is that to help people, you will probably have to fight. Are you okay with that?"

"Eevee ee eevee."

"I am sorry, of course I meant helping Pokémon as well. But you didn't answer my question."

"Vee!"

"Okay. I get it, I do. When we get back on the road, we can talk with Solana. I don't know if being a Pokémon Ranger is the best way to help people and Pokémon. Remember, we have run into other talented Trainers who are not Pokémon Rangers who are helping out in anyway they can. However, I will look at what is involved with being a Pokémon Ranger again."

"Eee?"

"Yeah, I would do that for you. I may decide to finish this League first, but I will consider finding a way for us to dedicate at least a chunk of our time to helping keep the peace."

"Eevee Eee!"

Ash smiled as Eevee padded forward and curled up next to him. Pikachu, having sat on his shoulder the entire time patted his head.

"I agree. It is time to rest. Tomorrow we face Roark in a Gym Battle!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next morning found Ash standing across a rocky Gym battlefield from Roark. Solana, Dawn, and Gary were all sitting together in the sparse stands, while Paul leaned up against the wall in the back. Paul had avoided Ash again in the morning, he wanted to talk to the Trainer from Pallet Town but didn't know what to say.

Roark pulled out a Pokéball. "Ash, this is a three on three Gym Battle. I just have one question before we start."

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"That Charizard of yours, is he participating today?"

"No, I already sent him and Quilava home. They were just in for the excitement yesterday."

"I am glad to hear it," Roark said. "Geodude, let's start out strong."

"Turtwig, I choose you."

"Don't underestimate him Geodude. Use Rock Throw."

"Turtwig, keep your distance and keep moving. Use Razor Leaf to find an opening." Ash instructed instead of his now normal cryptic command.

"Wig."

Turtwig started moving around the mostly stationary Geodude, the two Pokémon trading long distance attacks. Soon enough, Geodude was directly hit from the Grass Type attack and fainted. It wasn't an interesting battle or even tactically engaging. Type advantage won out.

"Good job Geodude. Onix you are up next, use Slam."

"Dodge when it gets close and then use Leech Seed." Ash instructed.

The small grass type ducked under the lunging Onix and was able to plant the long term attack in a crevice in Onix' body.

Dashing to one side, Turtwig followed up with a Razor Leaf. Due to the sudden loss of vitatlity to the Leech Seed, Onix was unable to move despite Roark's warning. While the powerful Rock Type Pokémon had been able to withstand quite a battering the day before, Turtwig's attacks were too much.

Onix fainted and was withdrawn in a flash of light.

"Ash you are a very talented trainer. How long have you had Turtwig?"

"A couple of weeks at most."

"Very impressive. I am going to send out my most powerful Pokémon and you will lose. Go Cranidos."

Ash smiled as a blue and grey Pokémon appeared. The short front arms and long powerful hind legs gave Cranidos the appearance of always leaning forward, this was balanced by a blue tail. The crown of the Pokémon's head were blue scales creating a helmet ringed by four spikes.

"Come back Turtwig, you have done fantastic. It is time for a rest."

"Wig?"

"Really."

Turtwig returned himself in a flash of red light. Ash pulled out a Pokéball. "I am sorry Roark. This is not the most powerful Pokémon I have with me, but he is more than a match for your Cranidos. Totodile, I choose you."

The small Water Type Starter Pokémon from Johto danced onto the battlefield in a flash of white light.

"Diiilllee!"

"You used that Pokémon yesterday, didn't you?" Roark asked.

"I did."

"Are you concerned Totodile may have used too much energy yesterday and is not fully recovered?"

"No need to worry, none of my Pokémon were overworked yesterday." Ash said confidently before pausing. "I am sorry, was Onix okay? I wasn't sure if you used this Onix and Geodude yesterday. Do you want to restart in a couple of days?"

"No, this is a clean battle. All of my Pokémon were eager to face you today."

"I am glad to hear it. Though, Cranidos is not going to be eager for much longer."

"That Totodile of yours, it is strong?"

"I like to think so."

"Why has it not evolved yet then?"

"Totodile has met Croconaw and Feraligatr. Neither of them can dance as well as he wants to. So he has decided not to evolve. I don't mind. He is a fantastic Pokémon and one I trust implicitly."

"You are one of the strangest trainers I have ever met. As a Feraligatr, your Pokémon would strike fear into his opponents and be exceptionally dangerous."

"Maybe, but he doesn't want to evolve. If you believe so strongly in evolution, then why do you have a Geodude, Onix, and Cranidos? Wouldn't a Golem, Steelix, and Rampardos make more sense?"

"I am a Gym Leader. I have been asked to be one of three Gyms which can be challenged by trainers just starting out. My job is to test to see if you are ready for the Pokemon League Conference. As a Gym Leader, these are the Pokémon I use. As a trainer, well I tend to use these Pokémon still to make sure I am in sync with them."

"Not everything is about evolution, is it?" Ash asked quietly. Louder, he directed his question across the battle field. "Is that enough of a break?"

"Bring it on my friend."

"Totodile, flood."

"Cranidos, Zen Headbutt."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash and Roark shook hands outside of the Gym. "Congratulations, Ash. I have not been defeated so quickly in several years. Here is the Coal Badge, you definitely deserve it."

"Thank you Roark, I enjoyed battling you."

Roark laughed. "You would have enjoyed it more if I gave you a challenge though, is that right?"

"Something like that."

Roark turned to Paul. "You are looking for a Gym Battle as well? All my Pokémon are tired and I need to take them to thePokémon Center. I will be happy to face off against you tomorrow."

"That is fine." Paul said.

Roark smiled and headed back into the Gym, no further words needed. Paul looked at Ash. "You frustrate me. You are overly kind to your Pokémon and it doesn't seem like you push them at all. Yet your Pokémon are powerful beyond what I have seen. I don't understand. How are you so strong?"

Ash laughed, "Paul, I already told you. To be a Pokémon Trainer is hard. It takes effort and time from both the Pokémon and the Trainer. Creating a bond with your Pokémon can help bring out their hidden strength. Taking the time to learn about your Pokémon can help you create strategies to put your Pokémon into better situations."

Paul shook his head and pulled out a Pokéball. "I don't know if I can do what you do."

"Then don't, be yourself. Just make sure to care for your Pokémon." Ash said.

"I need to think. Will you be here tomorrow to watch my Gym Battle?"

"I can be."

"I would appreciate it."

"Then I will be here."

Ash and his friends started to walk towards the Pokémon Center. From behind them, Ash would later swear he heard Paul mutter, "Thank you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next afternoon, Ash and Paul sat in the lobby of the Oreburgh City Pokémon Center. Earlier that day, Paul convincingly defeated Roark to win the Coal Badge. While Paul was at the Gym, Ash was working with Dawn. Together, they were looking at building strategies for each of her Pokémon.

At the moment, the rest of the group was distracted by their own pursuits. Gary was taking notes about the last several days, quietly he mentioned to Ash that he was developing a theory. It still needed a bit of work, but Gary thought he should have filled it out by the time of the Lily of the Valley Conference.

After training with Ash in the morning, Dawn focused on practicing her Appeals with her Pokémon. There was a Contest in Floaroma Town soon and she wanted to be as prepared as possible.

Solana was spending the day with Officer Jenny, trying to process the various scenes. At the same time, there was some significant cleanup needed after the Team Galactic mess.

Ash wanted to be involved with these projects, but Paul requested a talk. So instead of spending time with his friends, he sat in silence across a low table from the brooding purple haired trainer.

A naturally energetic person, Ash was starting to get antsy. The two had been sitting across from each other for too many minutes. Ash shifted his weight, trying to stay comfortable in the plush chair. Pikachu sat contentedly on his shoulder, watching Paul closely.

The purple haired trainer was leaning forward slightly, hands clasped in front of his chest and eyes staring daggers into the floor. The young man finally lifted his gaze, sharp eyes peaking from behind his bangs.

"You are beyond description. Last night, I checked the records. For one so young, there are few that come close to comparing to your exploits. Even Lance was nothing until his mid twenties. Only Cynthia has a comparable record as far as I can find. Some would even argue that you are beyond even her at the same point in her career."

Ash blinked as the normally acerbic trainer spoke. He waited as the other trainer paused for a breath.

"You have strength and respect. Yet it seems like you just have fun with your Pokémon. I don't understand. You are so soft with your stupid ideas about the bond with you rPokémon. I don't understand."

The purple haired trainer stopped talking, his gaze falling towards the ground again, almost as if he could not face Ash's steady eyes. Ash didn't say anything for a moment, head tilting to the side as he worked on figuring out what the other trainer was trying to say.

Ash took a breath and broke the silence. "Weak? You think friendship with and bonding with your Pokémon is weak?"

"Yes, Pokémon need to be given the right push to be strong. Being friends prevents you from giving that push."

Ash took a long breath in, holding it for a brief three count before releasing the breath he held. He stood up, Pikachu's ears falling back as the yellow Pokémon's eyes narrowed. "Just because you are friends with your Pokémon does not mean you cannot train or strive to be better."

He started to walk away, it seemed like the teen from Veilstone wanted to complain and deny the success of the Pallet Town native. Paul's voice stopped him before he took his second step. "I don't like your philosophy, how you treat your Pokémon. It is weak, it does not demonstrate leadership ability. Yet, you are powerful and successful. Beyond successful. You were able to understand your Absol and absolutely destroy a Team Galactic Camp. I don't understand. How can you believe in and trust such worthless Pokémon?"

Ash didn't look back. "Perhaps the trust and belief in our Pokémon is what helps our Pokémon become strong? If we support them, why wouldn't they support us?"

"You are just like my brother," Paul snapped. "Look, I don't understand how you can be so touchy feely. We are Pokémon Trainers. that means we are in a competition every day. Among each other, with the Gyms, and even eventually with the Elite Four and Champion. Every day we work to improve our Pokémon, so when we compete, we win. We are not Pokémon Trainers to be losers. You have the strength to win. How is someone as emotionally weak as you able to win?"

Ash's fists clenched, knuckles rapidly turning white and hands shaking. He growled through clenched teeth. "You have no idea what you are talking about. And worse you are not listening. I have been in situations that would make people run in terror."

Ash turned around. "I don't care if you think I am weak. Do you think my Pokémon are weak?"

"Yes."

Ash's right arm came up, index finder pointing at the trainer from Veilstone. Pikachu's cheeks sparked. "You have no right. You have no idea how I train or what my Pokémon, my friends have encountered or dealt with. You have not travelled with me and you have not truly faced me in battle. You."

Ash rubbed his face and turned away again to avoid looking at Paul. "I have competed in three major tournaments, and several lesser tournaments. I have competed in the Battle Frontier and found my way around the Orange Islands. I have made friends, I have lost friends. More importantly, I have found a family beyond what is back home. You dare call me weak?"

Paul did not respond, but Ash was not waiting for his rival's voice. "Paul, you are trying to fight the world alone. You think that makes you strong. You are not. You are fragile, no grit, no determination."

"No, I am strong."

Ash turned around, slower this time as he extended an arm to Pikachu. "No you are not. Grit is working with Pokémon someone else may consider weak and turning them into powerhouses. Determination is finding ways around challenges when going through them is impractical. Strength is finding family and friends who will support you as you seek your goals."

"That sounds like some mystical doublet talk."

"It may be, that doesn't mean it isn't true."

Paul stood up, matching Ash's height. "I will beat you next time."

"Not until you grow up."

Paul snorted and started to walk away. Before he could reach the door, Ash called out. "You were impressed by my Charizard, right?"

Paul paused, but did not say anything in response.

"He was abandoned by his first trainer for being too weak. Now he has faced off against Legendaries, just check the records for my battle against Nolan."

With a low growl, Paul pushed the door and disappeared. Ash and Pikachu, bodies still trembling stared after him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Paul looked back over Oreburgh Town, his pack slung across his back.

He ran a hand through his long purple hair. "Ash, are you right? Am I weak?"

He paused, growling. "No, you got lucky. I heard you, you called Charizard in from some special training ground. You just reap the benefits of another person's training."

Paul sighed, slumping as he did so. "But that Pikachu of yours is always with you and impossibly strong. I am sure there are others. Why am I so sure of that? Are you really doing something right? Am I failing my Pokémon?"

The Trainer turned and started to walk away. "Be myself, huh? But change? I guess I have a lot of work to do to figure that out."

His words to himself hung in the air as he vanished, heading deeper into the woods. His journey continued, alone.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Solana wiped her brow with her hand as she sat under a leafy tree. A Zigzagoon, holding a big water bottle in her jaws, trotted next to her.

"Thanks Zigzagoon, I appreciate it."

Before the wild Pokémon could respond, a woman's voice interrupted. "Such as sweet Pokémon."

Solana looked up to see Officer Jenny standing in front of her, the blue police uniform looking crisper than it had any right to after the time spent cleaning up the mess of the Team Galactic camp.

"Officer."

"We received a coded message for you," Officer Jenny said, holding out a chip.

Solana took the chip and glanced at it, the standard data chip it was. She placed the metal end, with the connection surfaces, into the standard issue Capture Styler. The screen flashed on and she started to read. Her eyes darted back and forth, moving through the information.

After a moment Solana looked up and smiled at Officer Jenny. "Another Ranger has been dispatched to help you finalize cleaning up here. There is an incident I am being sent to."

"Wouldn't that other Ranger be closer?"

Solana smiled. "I have a resource the other Ranger doesn't. The Higher Ups are interested in how it performs under a more standard situation."

"If you are talking about who I think you are, I would say he will be bored out of his mind in a normal situation. My family talks with the Nurse Joy family a lot and he is always in the middle of something."

"Thanks, I will leave the rest to you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Gary found Ash watching a door. For Ash, it was the door Paul had disappeared through. Gary ignored the fact his friend was randomly staring at a door, because something else was off.

It was the stillness.

Ash was almost never still. Not even while he slept. There was almost always purpose to the motion, but moving was generally one of Ash's traits. For him to be still was disconcerting.

Then there was Pikachu. The Electric Type was following his trainer's actions, glaring at the door. Like Ash, Pikachu was not moving at all.

"You okay there Ashy-boy?"

Ash jerked up, turning quickly to see who had spoken. Pikachu's cheeks sparked briefly, but quickly settled down.

The teen nodded once. "Yeah, I am fine. How goes developing your theory?"

"I need a couple of more data points, but I think my Grandfather will be very interested in the idea once I can support my theory. Now, I know you well enough. You are not fine, what is going on?"

"I just, I was talking with Paul. It seemed like he wanted some advice. Then he returned to himself. I don't like how he treats his Pokémon. I don't like how he is not willing to listen to me. I don't like how he is going about being a Trainer. Honestly, I just don't like him."

"He said something."

"He said a lot of things. When were you thinking about hitting the road again?"

"I can be ready whenever. I don't suggest leaving this late in the day. We really wouldn't get that far and having a fresh start in the morning might be nice."

Solana stepped around the corner, from the same direction Gary had come, with Dawn next to her. The Pokémon Ranger had her bag slung across her back. "Could we leave now? I just got word of being needed on the road between here and Floaroma Town. We may not get too far today, but that little bit should get us there even the slightest bit earlier."

Ash smiled at the two women. "I am fine with it. Dawn, what do you think?"

The younger Coordinator looked between Ash, Gary, and Solana for a moment. "I wouldn't mind heading out. I got my training done and my Pokémon need a bit of rest to be honest. If we start hiking, they can take a nap and we can still make progress."

Gary sighed. "Alright, I will get my bag. Ash, are you going to be okay?"

"Eventually. We have more important things to focus on now, like helping Dawn and Solana. So that is what we will do and what we should do. I am going to grab my stuff and start loading up Tauros."

The two girls exchanged glances and small shrugs as the two boys headed deeper into the Pokémon Center to grab their things. Dawn spoke up, her curiosity breaking through. "What kind of mission are you being sent on now?"

"It isn't very sensitive, but there is a bit of an element of timeliness. There are some Pokémoninterfering with the trail. I am going to help them relocate or to settle down so travelers are not hindered too much."

"But you seem in a bit of a rush?" Dawn said, with a slight rising tilt to her voice.

Solana chuckled, hearing the question Dawn wanted to ask. "Ash is not a Pokémon Ranger and to be honest, he probably shouldn't be a Pokémon Ranger. The brass wanted to show him what a typical mission would be like. We don't need heavy hitters like Ash, Pokémon Rangers deal with fairly lower or middle level issues. Our biggest difficulty is with Poachers. With the life he lives and the talent in training Pokémon, Ash should be involved at a higher level than a Pokémon Ranger."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Solana put her hands on Dawn's shoulders. "Learn everything you can from him. He will teach you how to be one of the most powerful Coordinators around. But be careful as well. From what I hear and what I can guess by seeing him in action, he loves the thill of the challenge in saving the world. Probably by accident, you will end up in the middle of a catastrophic event as you hang around him. He won't intentionally put you into danger, but you will still face it."

"Still, why tell me?"

"Because you are new. I would tell Gary, but he has called home and brought in some of his stronger Pokémon. You don't have the same reserves, you will need to train then into existence. So until you have a true monster like Ash's Pikachu, be careful."

Dawn nodded slowly. "Thank you and I will be."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After making camp that evening, Ash knelt next to Turtwig. The Grass Type looked up at his trainer, focused on what Ash was describing.

"Okay, so in case you do evolve, we don't want you to have learned bad habits. Let's focus, on what you can do to prepare for having a bigger body. What we are going to focus on is aiming."

"Turt Turt."

"That is right, you can learn more than Razor Leaf and Leech Seed to send towards your opponent. Before we get to those moves, we need to be confident in hitting a target."

"Wig?"

"Remember there are roughly four scenarios with this. You being stationary and the target is moving, both you and the target are still, you are moving and the target is not, and both you and your target are moving."

Turtwig nodded with a firm, "Turt."

"When we are talking about moving, that can be in any direction, so we will build to that. The starting point is to see where you are already. That means we are going to check your aim with both you and the target being stationary. Once you hit ten times in a row, we will leave the target in place and you will be moving while aiming. Sound good?"

"Wing wig Turt."

"Alright, let's get started."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash stood eyes unfocused as his head tilted up towards the stars. Pikachu was on one shoulder, Aipom on the other, and Eevee sitting between his feet. Solana slipped in next to him, her Pokémon companion having headed out to explore for a while.

"I enjoyed taking on the Team Galactic Camp. For some reason, I want Team Rocket to attack or some trouble to pop up just to meet it head on." Ash said, gaze up in the sky.

"That is not really the role of Pokémon Rangers to deal with things like that. My next mission is more traditional, it should be only a territory dispute among wild Pokémon just outside the next town."

"I figured that, Eevee really enjoyed helping." Ash's smile grew as he mentioned his most difficult to understand Pokémon.

"Did you enjoy solving a problem or did you enjoy busting heads? If you are serious about wanting to help, we can get you in contact with International Police. The actual fighting, well that would tend to be something Gym Leaders or Elite Four members do."

Ash turned to look at her. "I thought you were supposed to secretly be changing my mind to become a Pokémon Ranger after I turned Scott down."

Solana shrugged, pulling her red Ranger jacket tight against the cool night air. "You would be bored. Honestly, if Paul was not such a giant tool he would be considered. Being a Ranger means loving the outdoors, loving all Pokémon, and being alone for months on end."

She shook her head and gave him a sad smile. "Trust me, you wouldn't like being a Pokémon Ranger."

"You seem very sure of that."

"Sometimes I don't like my job. It fits me though and I love it more days than I find it frustrating." She turned to stare out into the darkness. "Why do you like to travel?"

"I enjoy seeing what is beyond the next hill, I love spending time with my Pokémon and friends, and I enjoy the challenge of the Gyms, of the League."

"Pokémon Rangers are not permitted to challenge the League or similar organizations like the Orange League, the Battle Frontier, the Alola Challenges. We are by passion and regulation dedicated to our jobs. Would you be interested in that? Are you interested in seeing the world for the sole purpose of helping Pokémon in the wild? We need good people, I think you are good people. This is not the job for you."

Ash nodded."Again, I don't understand why you are telling me this."

"A couple of reasons. First and most importantly, you are my friend. I want you to make the best decision for you and I will tell you my opinion of it. Second, Dawn has her Contest in Floaroma Town. The day after the contest, a Ranger Captain is going to be there with a couple of other trainers."

"Do you know who?"

"No, that was all the message said."

"Okay."

"But Ash, Ranger Captains don't come to meet prospective Rangers without a very good reason and right now that is what you are a prospective Ranger."

The two fell silent, watching the night sky.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After a short adventure involving Dawn catching a Pachirisu, Ash stood behind Dawn as she worked with Piplup. The Water type had extended its beak to more vividly pop its Bubble attack.

After several minutes, Dawn looked over her shoulder at her mentor. "What do you think?"

Ash shrugged. "If you mean, do I think it looked good? Yes, it did. Was it a winning strategy? Well, I don't know about that. We would have to test it against an opponent to see."

Dawn's shoulders slumped. "You want me to battle you?"

"No."

Dawn breathed a big sigh, standing up straighter at the one word only to be crushed at the next few.

"I want you to battle Gary."

"What? Why?" Dawn asked, eyes going wide.

"I have seen what you do with your Appeals and training for the Appeals. You have that going well, anything new or learned on that will come from experience or talking with other Coordinators. It is the battle rounds you need help with. Remember, you have to control the field. Gary and I can help most with that."

Dawn nodded as Gary approached. Ash grinned. "Right, the first thing is to know your Pokémon. To me type advantage is helpful but mostly irrelevant. What you need to know is how to help guide your Pokémon while revealing as little as possible."

With his voice in her ear, the three young travelers got to work and Solana watched from the edge of the clearing.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Training completed for the day, the group returned to hiking down the path. Each step a chance to consider the world around them, though none of them stoped to ponder that issue very much.

The day was absolutely beautiful and they took the time to enjoy each other's company. The group, with Tauros behind them, discussed everything from where they grew up to their plans for the journey itself.

Solana didn't comment to often, knowing her time with the group was starting to run short. After all, she had read the message from on high. The challenge Ash was going to face would change his life, in a variety of ways. Beyond that, she had a job to do and even if Ash could and would help, she would soon need to part company.

The question would be how would the rest of the group handle it?

From what she could tell, Ash would jump in with both feet. Gary would stick around as support for a while, until it no longer made sense and he would return to a Professor to brush up on his own skills as a Professor. Dawn would be left high and dry eventually, having to continue to follow her dream alone. No, she would find someone to travel with eventually.

Solana jerked out of her musings as she heard a sound up ahead. She pulled the message and her map out to check something. She looked at the group after a moment.

"That sound, that is my mission. If you want to, you all can follow along."

Of course, all three of her companions followed her.

In the end, it was a brief encounter. She stood with Ash's Eevee in between two combative groups of Pokémon. On one side were some Kricketot and Kricketune, on the other some Bidoof. Apparently, some territory had shifted in a flock of Starly putting these two groups in conflict. A quick discussion and careful shifting of resources meant the conflict was short lived.

Ash rubbed his chin as she approached, the group ready to continue on towards Town. "Are most of your missions like this?"

"Very frequently, yes."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The rest of the trip was unremarkable. Soon enough Ash, Solana, and Gary were sitting in the stands of the Floaroma Town Contest Hall. Dawn walked onto the stage, steps confident.

Gary sighed. "She should go through to the Battle Rounds. Even if she did the same Appeal as last time, the competition is not as strong."

"True enough. Most competitors seem to have her same experience." Ash agreed.

Dawn threw her Pokéball into the air, Buneary appearing. Seeming to leap off the Pokéball with Bounce, Buneary soon was close to the ceiling. Using Ice Beam, the Normal Type Pokémon created a slide attached to the braces.

Skiing down the slide as she created it, Buneary threw in a few loops and twists. Knowing Ice Beam was sucking up moisture, Buneary would create a jump to use Water Pulse to create the illusion of sprinkling rain.

By the time Buneary landed back on the stage, Dawn knew her Appeal had been successful.

As she headed back to the green room to wait, the crowd roared their approval of her style.

Ash grinned at Gary, "Yeah, she has improved that a bit. She didn't show too much in the way of battle and still was able to tell a simple story. I enjoyed it."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dawn had easily made it into the Battle Rounds and the group watched as she dispatched her first few opponents. Finally, she was standing on the stage in the finale against a girl about her age.

Ash rubbed Pikachu's head between the ears. "Dawn is going to win."

"How do you know?"

"She has shown more skill than this other girl. Both of them are clearly new, but we have pushed Dawn into more training than she would have had otherwise. Her opponent has had good match ups, she has talent but hasn't been helped like Dawn."

Before Gary could respond, Buneary emerged to face a Shinx.

"Dawn hasn't prepped for this kind of match up, so it will be interesting to see how she pulls this one out." Ash murmured as the clock started.

"Buneary High and Low!" Dawn called.

"Shinx, Charge and then use Spark!"

The Normal Type Pokémon used one of her favorite moves and Bounced into the air. As she did the blue and black Electric type took advantage of the time to gather energy. Buneary grinned and purposefully dropped right in front of Shinx, ears going a mile a minute as she started to Dig.

The electric blast of Spark soared over her head as she disappeared into the ground. A couple moments later and Buneary slammed into the underside of Shinx's belly. Not letting the Electric Type rest, an Ice Beam lanced out.

"Good then use Pound!" Dawn called out to her Pokémon.

An ear struck the now dazed Shinx, who was blasted away by a water pulse. Buneary was about to follow up with another Ice Beam when a loud buzzing sound caught her attention.

"In an astonishing display, Dawn has depleted all of her opponent's points and has won the Floaroma Town Ribbon!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dawn ran up to Ash and hugged him, he picked her up and spun her once while Gary chuckled. Solana stood nearby, smiling broadly.

"You did wonderfully Dawn, congratulations on winning your first Ribbon."

"You know I would never have been able to do it without you and Gary. Thank you so much!"

"Five gets you into the Grand Festival, right? So we get back to training tomorrow so you won't have to worry about getting the next one either." Gary said, watching the two let go of each other and stand awkwardly beside each other.

Solana nodded toward a lamp. "Before that, you should look over there."

Ash and Dawn looked, it was the Trainer from Pallet Town who noticed first. Standing near the Lamp was a man dressed in red, with a big hat. Next to him were three figures any trainer worth their Pokédex would recognize.

The first man had spiky red hair, a dark cape covering a dark blue and red flight suit with thick black boots. It was Lance, Champion of Johto and Kanto.

Next to him was man in a rather formal suit, with a big red tie. His cuffs gleamed with metal as did the tops of his shoes. His pale hair and piercing eyes gave him a calm appearance. Steven Stone, Champion of Hoenn, cut a rather strong figure.

Finally, there was a blonde woman with black hairpieces. Her slacks were balck and she wore a rather understated black shirt. Her heels were polished and her overcoat had black fir around the edges, including a rather fuzzy scarf. Around her neck hung a long necklace ending in a metal teardrop. Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh, was staring right at him.

Ash gave a small grin. This was going to be his challenge?

From behind the three Champions a fifth figure came, rather short and stocky in comparison. Scott started to walk to the group. "Ash, you took my last challenge and did far better than anyone would expect. I look forward to seeing if you will do the same for this challenge!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Gary stepped forward, between Ash and Scott. "I am not sure what you are talking about and I don't care. Three Champions and two Rangers, along with todays Ribbon winner, standing around in public is going to attract a lot of attention. We should find somewhere less public to have this discussion."

The shorter man, his loud floral shirt and sunglasses also drawing some attention, nodded. "You are right young Mister Oak. There must be a restaurant with a backroom around here somewhere."

"There is one next to the Pokémon Center." Solana said, "I am not sure it will be available after the Contest, but it would be worth a shot."

Scott nodded in agreement, gesturing for his guests and the teens to follow him. As they walked behind the man, Dawn slid in next to Ash as they walked through the town. Before she could speak, Ash murmured, "Sorry about this. You won your first Ribbon and tonight should be about you. I don't know what is going on, but I am sorry."

"No need to worry, I can tell you didn't plan this. It seems like Solana maybe knew general information but not specifics. Anyway, what do you think they want? Who are these people?"

"The man leading is Scott, he is, well, I guess the best way to describe him is a connector of talent and challenges. He brings interesting groups together to create interest. The man in the big hat is a Ranger Captain, I don't know anything more than that. The other three are the Champions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh."

"Three Champions for four Regions?"

"Currently Kanto and Johto are both under Lance. As for what they want? Well, Scot has been trying to get me to be more than a normal Trainer. Before I came to Sinnoh, he tried to get me to be a Frontier Brain or a Pokémon Ranger. I skipped out and came here instead. It looks like this time he wants to ensure my future somehow."

Dawn looked at him, her shoulders drooping. "Do you think you will leave with them?"

"No need to worry. I will stay with you until at least your first Grand Festival. I promised to help you train and I will keep my promise."

"Thank you," Dawn sighed, straightening up.

Ash grinned at her. "You did a great job today. I really enjoyed your Appeal. Your battles were a bit rough, but that is a matter of experience and knowing what commands to give your Pokémon at what time. For the time you have been a Coordinator, I am really seeing your potential. I am proud of you."

Dawn ducked her head, cheeks turning rosy, and her arms clasped behind her back.

Gary spoke up from her other side. "I agree with Ash. You have talent and potential. We could see the steps you have already made today. We look forward to helping you get even better."

Dawn shot Gary a quick glare before looking both boys in the eyes with a smile. "Thank you, you are both helping a lot and I am very thankful."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The large group soon made its way through the town and into a private room at the restaurant. Scott sat in the middle of the table, the Champions and Ranger Captain ending up flanking him as the younger teens clustered together with Solana off to the side.

After ordering, the group engaged in some light small talk about the weather and similar topics. Soon enough, the waitress brought their food. When she left, the Ranger Captain spoke up. "Ash, my name is David and I have been a Pokémon Ranger for almost a decade. Recently I was promoted to Captain over southern Sinnoh. Solana has had nothing but praise for your abilities to train Pokémon and to understand difficult situations quickly."

He paused. "If you ever are interested, there will be a place for you in the Rangers. However, from what Solana has mentioned and with confirmation with Scott, it is more likely that we would be calling on your help than the other way around. You routinely face and beat Legendary Pokémon, we do not. In fact, it is rare for Rangers to even see a Legendary Pokémon. You were able to almost single handedly take out a Team Galactic Camp. No Ranger has that capability. With your skill in capturing and training Pokémon, there are better fits for you than the Rangers."

Ash nodded as he looked at Scott. "Solana mentioned a bit of this. What changed? I left Kanto less than two months ago and you were highly interested in my services. Now I hear almost essentially same story from two Rangers."

Solana leaned forward. "Two things. One, I traveled with you and sent back a couple of reports. I am happy to share them with you if you would like. But we knew you were a good training, but what I saw directly was the difference between a routine League participant and someone approaching a much higher rank. Second, we got confirmation of your dealings with Legendaries. Command watched your battle with Nolan and were extremely impressed. Your ability is necessary and frankly beyond the scope of our duties."

"Fine," Gary cut her off. "It seems like you made the offer before doing your due diligence. It doesn't matter. Scott, what are three Champions doing here?"

Scott grinned, noticing the Ranger Captain not even raising an eyebrow at the young man's somewhat caustic statement. "Well, I got talking to Lance after you left and he mentioned he is still the Champion of two Regions, which is a big job."

He paused, glancing at Steven who was toying with a stone of some kind. "Especially when he goes to help other Regions as well. So he asked me to help him find another Champion. Since, I built the Battle Frontier in Kanto and was getting another one started in Sinnoh, he thought I would have the contacts. He, of course, is right."

Lance rolled his eyes at Scott as he cut into the conversation. "Scott insisted you were perfect for the role. Your accomplishments suggest he is not wrong, but I for one am worried about your age."

"So, I got in touch with Steven and Cynthia. They agreed to help test my candidate. Ash, are you ready for the biggest test of your life?" Scott asked, almost bouncing in his seat.

"A couple of things," Ash said. "First, why is this not occurring after the Lily of the Valley Conference? Second, and perhaps more importantly, I thought I said I wanted to travel a bit more before taking a job. Did I forget to tell you that?"

"You told me. I am just ignoring you!" Scott replied with a chuckle. "As for why we are testing you now, well, because the job offer will have several contingencies. Including that you win the Lily of the Valley Conference."

Gary put his hand on Ash's shoulder, opposite of where Pikachu was holding on. "Remember, we can always call home to get advice."

"What is the test?"

"You get to face each Champion in a three-on-three matchup. We want to see how many Pokémon you have that are Elite level, so you do not get to use any of your Pokémon more than once. We will score you on your tactics, power, and decision making. If you show well, we will make a formal offer for you to take up the mantel of the Champion of Johto."

Ash leaned forward. "What if I don't show well?"

"Then no offer will be made." Steven said, still focusing on turning the uncut stone in his hand.

"Why should I take this challenge? I am turning 15 this year. There are definitely trainers who are older than me with more powerful Pokémon and worthy of being Campion. Even without that skill, I am still growing up. Traveling has been a big part of that. Why should I give up the ability to meet new Pokémon and to take on different Gyms?"

"You can accept or reject the offer when we make it. The reason to take the challenge is because you want to be the best. Every Pokémon Trainer does. This gives you chance to measure yourself and your growth. Are you on the right path? This will help you find out. Besides, I know you well enough to know you are already excited about the opportunity to battle three amazing Trainers." Scott explained.

Ash nodded before pointing at Lance. "Lance of the Dragon Tribe, his Pokémon include a Red Gyarados and several Dragonite. Steven Stone," Ash's finger moved, "focuses on Steel and Rock Type Pokémon including Aggron, Metagross, and Pokémon revived from Fossils."

Ash grinned at the suddenly interested Champions as his finger moved to Cynthia. "Despite being the youngest Champion, Cynthia has the most diverse set of Pokémon. Rumor suggests that her Garchomp is her most powerful Pokémon, but there are hints that the most dangerous is Spiritomb with Lucario offering quite a challenge."

Ash's grin fell as he let his hand drop back to the table. "Scott, I am good. I may even be Elite Four level. Tell me why I should measure myself? I know where I am in the process. Though one day I will be a Champion and I will be the best, that day is not today."

Scott stood up. "We will meet you behind the Pokémon Center tomorrow at Ten if you decide to take my challenge."

As he spoke, the three Champions got up and started to head out. "As for why you should take my challenge? Because I think you are better than you expect. Because I think the results will surprise you."

Scott paused, "I got the check. See you tomorrow."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash stood in the middle of the training ground behind the Pokémon Center after dinner. Solana had excused herself to report to her boss, but Dawn and Gary had followed him.

Dawn interrupted Ash's meandering thoughts. "Ash, we are in no hurry to get to the next town. There is not another Contest for a couple of weeks and the next Gym is not going anywhere. If you want to take this challenge, I think there is no need to worry."

Ash nodded, but did not look over his shoulder at his friends.

Without looking, Ash knew Gary had a notebook out. His oldest friend spoke up. "You could win."

At that Ash did turn around. "What?"

"Lance is good, no doubt about that. As is Steven. But they are narrow. With both of them, you have Pokémon that match up really well. I mean, Glalie could have a field day against a Dragonite. If you could borrow Primeape, he would give any of Steven's Steel Types a run for their money. It would really only be Cynthia where you would have problems and that would be mostly in picking the right Pokémon." Gary said, shutting his notebook.

"Ash, look at it like this. If you win, you will have earned any offer you receive. If you become Champion, you can make your own rules to a degree. Travel all you want. Champions are not on call. Yes, they solve problems in their region. Most of the year, there is nothing for them to do."

Ash sat down and looked at Dawn. She offered a small smile. "I think you should do it. I would love to see you take on Trainers who are well known as extremely good. The only way it would be better is if I saw you take on Wallace."

Ash nodded. "I don't know if I am going to accept any offer that is given."

"That is fine. But, Ash, if you don't do this, you will regret it. And you know that."

"Then I guess I have some calls to make."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Off to the side of the training ground, Scott, Dawn, Gary, Solana, and David sat, watching as the three Champions talked. The clock ticked ever closer to ten and Ash had yet to arrive. Dawn turned to Scott. "Who is the referee going to be and what happens if Ash is late?"

"He won't be late, not if you all are here. As for the referee, well, I imposed upon the Champions to decide that. One Champion will fight, one will watch, and one will ref."

As he spoke, Ash ran around the corner of the building, Eevee and Aipom in front of him, Pikachu on his shoulder and Tauros trotting next to him.

Ash skidded into the challenger's box with a grin. He slung his jacket off, showing his belt with twelve Pokéballs on it. "Alright, I am ready!"

The three Champions looked at the excited teen with small grins, tolerating his actions. Lance nodded and stepped to the other box, while Steven moved to judge and Cynthia walked to the small stands.

"This is a three-on-three match with no substitutions and each Pokémon will face only one other Pokémon. The score will be determined by overall number of wins, losses, and draws. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town against Champion Lance, begin!"

Ash grinned. These would be quick battles, all the Pokémon were strong enough to make a good hit devastating. With each Pokémon able to battle only once, the day would move along rapidly. "Alright, Muk, I choose you!"

A big purple blog of slime appeared in front of the Pallet Town Trainer while the Red Gyarados appeared in front of Lance. "I remember you helping catch this Gyarados, it will be interesting to see how you stand up to it now. Hydro Pump!"

"Skyfall Muk!"

The big purple Pokémon seemed to collapse into a puddle as the torrent of water shot through where it had been a moment before. Shots of gunk, Sludge and Sludge Bomb, started pelting across the battlefield. Gyarados, being a natural in the water, was stuck more or less in one place on land.

Waving from side to side, Gyarados sent another Hydro Pump to clean the slime from the field. Muk was already moving to close range. Lance's eyes shot wide as he saw Muk's grin. "Use Hyper Beam and get rid of that Muk!"

Gyarados started charging a ball of energy in it open mouth, almost ready to strike when lightning reached out from Ash's Muk. The Thunderbolt attack was not quite as powerful as Pikachu's but Gyarados started to steam. The Red Gyarados was no normal Gyarados, and Hyper Beam lanced out to blast Muk.

The energy expenditure was too much for Gyarados as it tilted and fell, while Muk was blasted beyond the other end of the field. Steven raised both of his arms. "Neither Pokémon is able to battle, this is a draw. Both trainers send out your next Pokémon."

"Good job Muk, I see I put you in a bad spot. I will do better next time." Ash said as he returned his Pokémon.

"I can see I am going to have to try a bit harder. Well then, Ash, let's see how you fair against one of my Dragonite."

The tall yellowish-gold Pokémon floated in front of him. Ash nodded and sent out Glalie, the ice-ball looking Pokémon with horns. "Frost Warning!"

Glalie immediately used Icy Wind, it was not the most powerful Ice type attack but it definitely brought the chill. Or it would have, except a powerful Flamethrower burst through the air slicing just over the hovering Glalie.

The Ice Type rolled in the air before returning fire with an Ice Beam. Fighting through the attack, Dragonite charged forward with a Dragon Rush before firing a close range Flamethrower. Glalie sunk in the air, trying a Blizzard to keep the Kanto Pseudo - Legendary back. However, a third and final Flamethrower struck true, sending Glalie into the ground and unconscious.

"Glalie is unable to battle. Dragonite wins. Both trainers recall your Pokémon and send out your final fighter." Steven intoned in his best official referee voice.

"Dragonite return. Alright, Ash, I have heard good things about you. I am not going to let up. Dragonite go."

Another Dragonite appeared.

Ash recalled Glalie with an apology before grinning at Lance. "Charizard, Firestorm."

The vicious Fire Type from Kanto grinned.

Lance shook his head. "I am quite familiar with" he trailed off, blinking in the sudden smoke.

Flashes of red and purple fire and flashes of lighting lit up the smoke, the massive shapes clashing again and again. Suddenly the two shapes backed away. Charizard floating in front of Ash, grinning with flame curling around his teeth. Dragonite, looking like it had gone five rounds with a mountain. Charizard roared and launched a Dragon Rage attack. The blast of Dragon Fire was dogged by Dragonite, but Charizard's follow up of a swinging Dragon Tail was not. A Fire Blast ended the match.

"With Dragonite unable to battle, Charizard is the winner. Lance and Ash draw with one win each."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dawn turned to Gary as the match ended and the Champions moved for the next round. "Why didn't Glalie win?"

"I guess I gave Ash bad advice on that. Dawn, when you are a Trainer that focuses on one Type, you know that Types strengths and weaknesses. You have to have counters against super effective attacks. As Champion, Lance must have practiced a lot in that arena."

"What about Muk, why choose such a random Pokémon?"

"Muk has worked well with Ash in the past, they have won some difficult and important matches together. I am a bit surprised Ash didn't save Muk for any of the match against Cynthia. With Muk's ability to use Electric attacks, it was not a bad match for Gyarados."

Dawn nodded before looking over to Ash where he was kneeling next to Eevee, Aipom, and Pikachu, who with Tauros were watching the battle with great interest.

"Do you think Tauros will battle?"

"I never count anything out when Ash is involved. He can be a very surprising Trainer. If he does use Tauros, it would be later and Ash would have to have no good choices on his belt. At least, in my opinion."

Steven had taken his place as a combatant and Cynthia had taken her place as a referee. She was stating the rules again when Lance set next to Scott. Quietly the Kanto and Johto Champion murmured, "He is good. I am interested in how he does, but he will likely have my vote."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash blinked, a Claydol? That was not one of the Pokémon he was expecting from the Hoenn Champion. Not that he was in trouble mind, but it was still surprising. He held the Pokéball tighter, did he play this card now? Ash grinned, thrill shooting up his spine. Why not, this was what being a trainer was all about.

"Sceptile, Cutting Speed!"

Sceptile, launching out of the Pokéball started running around the field, looking for an opening. Claydol, eyes ringing its head started sending Psybeams to interrupt the run of the Tree loving Pokémon.

The Grass-Type from Hoenn was quick though, using his speed to change directions and to inch ever closer. When Sceptile got close enough, he jumped and Leaf Blade slicing at Claydol. Then the chase began again.

Claydol started using a variety of Psychic energy attacks, none hitting the agile Sceptile and if they did none seemed to slow him down even when tossed back.

Steven spoke up. "Self Destruct."

Claydol began glowing, collecting energy as it prepared and a glint appeared in Ash's Sceptile's eye.

The blast radiated out, causing the wind to pick up even in the audiences eyes. When the smoke cleared, Sceptile stood proud over the defeated Claydol.

Cyntha called out. "Claydol is unable to battle, both trainers shall send out their next Pokémon."

"Detect?" Steven called out.

Ash grinned as he called Sceptile back. "That is right. Great Job Sceptile."

Ash tossed his fifth Pokéball in the air, sending out Heracross. The Bug and Fighting Type stretched its arms and wings, a glint in its eye as an Aggron appeared in front of Steven.

"Breakdown Heracross," Ash said.

Heracross flew forward to get close enough to strike. He started off with a Close Combat while Aggron used Metal Claw to slice at the offending attacker. A moment later, the two Trainers could do nothing but watch as the Pokémon brawled in the middle of the field.

Steven was smiling slightly, the same rock from the other day grasped loosely in his hand. Aggron was taking some serious punishment. Ash was definitely something.

Eventually, the two Pokémon connected at the same time with vicious punches. The eager combatants fell flat on their back.

"Hera Hera Cross."

"Goon Agg gron."

Both Pokémon raised and arm before letting it fall.

"Neither Pokémon are able to battle, this contest is a draw. Trainers send out your final Pokémon."

"Heracross, great job, you almost had him. Alright Torkoal, it is up to you now!"

"Kooaaall!" The Fire Type from Hoenn called.

"Metagross."

The four legged metal behemoth stood across from Ash and his Torkoal. The blue metal off set the silver pieces which gleamed in the sun.

"Metagross, start with Bullet Punch."

The gleaming claws of the large Steel Type disappeared from view as Metagross approached Torkoal. As soon as Metagross was in range, quicker than Ash would have thought, the punches started.

"Defend and Send Back!" Ash called out.

Torkoal nodded before Withdrawing into his shell. White smoke started to pour out.

Steven was in no mood to go without a victory though. "Psychic, then Meteor Mash."

Metagross' red eyes glowed blue as Torkoal was lifted into the air and positioned just right. Ash winced knowing the attack hurt even when used in an unconventional way. The strike from Meteor Mash was vicious sending Torkoal into the ground and rolling away.

"Torkoal, are you okay?"

Torkoal came out of his shell, wincing and grimacing. Suddenly, the little Fire Type sent out white hot flame in an Overheat striking a Metagross caught staring at the enduring Pokémon.

When the powerful fire attack petered out, a lightly singed Metagross sent a Hyper Beam directly back down the line. This time when Torkoal rolled to a stop, he was unconscious.

"Torkoal is unable to battle. This brings a conclusion to the second match, again in a draw." Cynthia stated.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dawn blinked. "Even with Torkoal being beat really bad, Ash is doing amazing, isn't he?"

"Hard to tell. Some of these are just bad matchups one way or another. I mean there probably isn't a good match for that Metagross, except for perhaps Charizard." Gary muttered, "Except, this is not a standard challenge. Normally when facing a Champion it goes by League rules, your Pokémon can be substituted and the Trainer with the last Pokémon standing wins."

Dawn nodded slowly, trying to get Gary to finish explaining himself. Gary continued, "Charizard may have been able to take the other Dragonite on, his is extremely talented and we don't know what damage Glalie was able to inflict. But Sceptile generally causes light damage. With a high defense and a dangerous attack, Metagross would probably win. In the abstract, with standard rules, Ash may beat Lance while losing to Steven."

Dawn nodded, "And Cynthia is supposed to be the hardest to deal with."

"But Pikachu has not fought yet. It will be interesting to see."

Steven sat down next to Scott, Cynthia already taking her place as a competitor and Lance as referee. "He needs polish. Heracross should have beat Aggron, but by letting them brawl it made them even. In a normal match, Sceptile would push Metagross to the edge after that Overheat. I think I would still win, but it would be uncomfortably close. He needs a few more years."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash was no longer grinning. He was smiling in pure joy, Gary had been right. This would have been a mistake not to do. And he thought he had a counter for Spiritomb, just standing right behind him.

Lance finished rattling off the rules and Cynthia sent out her Milotic. Ash blinked, before chuckling. Pikachu would not be happy, he had wanted to face Garchomp. Still, it was too perfect not to do.

"Evaporate, Pikachu!"

Pikachu's eyes narrowed and ears fell back, glaring at Ash for a second. Then the small Electric type darted out onto the field, cheeks sparking.

As Lance's hand dropped to start the match, Pikachu continued to charge. Sparks started to surround the small Pokémon. Milotic, on Cynthia's command, shot out Water Pulse and Hydro Pump to keep the distance as much as possible. Yet Pikachu vanished, his speed so great that Milotic was struck on one side and then another. Pikachu's Volt Tackle left Milotic shaking in pain. Suddenly, Pikachu appeared in front of Milotic and a Thunderbolt lanced out striking the beautiful Water Type in its face.

"Milotic is unable to battle. Next battle."

Pikachu ran back to his Trainer's box. "Pika . . ."

"I know, but I thought she would lead off with Spritomb. Besides, watch this, it is Snorlax's turn."

The large Normal Type Pokémon appeared in a flash of white light to face off against Cynthia's Lucario.

Pikachu shook his head, poor Lucario.

"Force Palm, Lucario!"

The Steel and Fighting Type rolled its shoulders before racing forward.

"Body Slam, Snorlax." Ash commanded, for the first time in the three matches.

Lucario's Force Palm struck Snorlax's belly, pushing in fairly well. Normally when hit like this, a Pokémon would fly back. Snorlax just fell forward. It was the laziest way of doing a Body Slam.

Trapped underneath, Lucario used multiple Force Palms to shift Snorlax enough to get back to his feet.

"Snorlax, Devastate."

The giant Normal Type stood up, before sighing. "Lax."

Lucario and Cynthia waited a moment. "Rest?"

Ash nodded.

"Aura Sphere and then take him out!"

Lucario leapt back a little bit to get solid footing when Snorlax took one heavy step forward. The entire field reverberated with the Earthquake, sending Lucario to its knees. Struggling to get up, Lucario threw the Aura Sphere. The Fighting Type attack struck home, but a Blizzard sent the other way caused Lucario to leap back instead of forward.

The chill in the air caused Lucario to move forward tenatively. When close enough for another Force Palm, a Focus Punch landed first.

Lucario shook the strike off before going into Close Combat. Snorlax groaned, having been woken up. And Snorlax never wakes up in a good mood. A Hyper Beam lashed out, sending Lucario sprawling.

"Lucario is unable to battle, Snorlax is the victor. Last battle." Lance said.

"Great job Snorlax, you can take a nap. Go, Quilava."

"Garchomp."

The blue and red Dragon roared before Digging into the ground. Quilava shook her head before letting her back ignite.

"Quilava, Flame On!"

Darting forward, the Fire Type from Johto raced to the hole Garchomp had created before sending a torrent of flame into it.

Unfortunately for Quilava, Garchomp appeared directly under her at that moment. The end of the Dig attack coincided with a Dragon Rage.

Quilava turned around in mid-air to spit a Fire Blast at the Dragon. Shaking off the fire, Garchomp charged forward in a Dragon Rush. Quilava, not quite having landed, tumbled across the field. Standing shakily, Quilava turned to face Cynthia's strongest when she was struck with a Dragon Claw.

A last ditch Flamethrower was split by a Dragon Rage, sending Quilava out cold.

Cynthia caught Scotts eyes and gave a shallow nod to the organizer of the day.

"Quilava is unable to battle. Ash wins, with two victories to one."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Dawn raced down the steps to give Ash a big hug. "You are amazing!"

"Thanks Dawn, it was a lot of fun."

Gary grinned, "Do you know how you did?"

Ash shook his head. "It was too intense, too fun to really pay attention to that detail."

"You came out on top overall with four wins, three losses, and two draws."

"It was Milotic, wasn't it? That choice pushed me over the edge? If Cynthia had used a different Pokémon . . ." Ash trailed off.

"But she didn't and you capitalized," Scott said. "We will talk among ourselves this afternoon, but you were quite impressive in my opinion."

Ash nodded, pulling his jacket back on after Dawn let him go from the hug. "Send the offer to Professor Oak. I will check in with him when I get to the next town. For now, I want to send a few Pokémon home before we get back on the road."

"Of course, good luck with your Gym Challenges Ash."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That night Ash stepped away to look at the stars. Solana was still traveling with them for the time being, something about her next mission being in the same direction. They had made camp on the very outskirts of Eterna Forest. It would be another day or so before really getting into the wild woods, at least that is what Ash guess based on his experience with other forests.

Pikachu clung to one shoulder and Aipom clung to the other, Eevee curled around his feet.

"That was a lot of fun today."

Ash thought back, closing his eyes. "When I was standing in the empty stadium at the Silver Conference, all I wanted was to get better, to be a Pokémon Master. And I chose to do something about it. I trained, I helped you all train. And then, I won."

"I am still surprised I won the Ever Grande Conference. Then I went and beat the Kanto Battle Frontier. Now, I am on my way to the Lily of the Valley Conference and I expect that I will win here too. That is the goal after all."

Ash smiled, knowing his voice had caught the attention of his three Pokémon.

"After the Lily of the Valley Conference, I will sit down with Mom and talk. I want to continue to travel, but it might be nice to have a pace to settle down at and to call my own."

"Piika?"

"Yeah, I am interested in being a Champion."

He stopped talking, eyes fixed firmly on the numerous stars in the night sky.

"I am not sure I can take it yet. I would hate to give this up."

The wind tickled the leaves on the trees around him.

"Still, Gary suggested I get to set my own rules and schedule to a degree. But there would be no more challenging the Conferences. People would earn the right to challenge me. And I am sure there are more responsibilities that haven't been mentioned yet."

Ash sighed, "Well, I took the test and all I can do now with the offer is to wait to get it or not. In the meantime, we get to see the rest of Sinnoh. There are seven Gyms left and at least a few Contests. I want to see Dawn take on the Grand Festival in style and Gary still owes me a bout somewhere."

He turned back towards the camp, a big smile across his face. Gary, Dawn, and Solana were waiting for him. Not close enough to actually hear his thoughts but on the edge of the camp. His friends glanced in his direction every few minutes. Ash started to make his way back to camp. "There is still so much to see and experience and do I can't wait!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

[AN]

Thank you all for the reviews and patience in sticking with me. This is the end of Thunderous Maturation, this story and the universe.

The central concept of this series was to take the idea of a child prodigy, in sports or elsewhere, and have them recognize the hurdle of becoming more than potential. Potential is great, don't get me wrong, but it is hard to become an expert.

For Ash this hurdle was mostly mental. He needed to focus, to think, to mature. The result is an Ash whois secretly concerned that the next gym won't be challenging enough.

Is he a fully rounded person? Is he a good person? I am not sure. There are definitely gaps, but that is the point. Becoming more than who we are is a process and we miss things at times. That was the reason no pairings were ever announced or pushed during the series. Does Ash ever pair up with anyone? That is up to you.

So, I leave him and you all here. What happens next? Well, Ash could be the eternal wanderer, doing good as he goes. Or he could become a great Champion and represent Johto.

I am planning on spending November taking on the challenge of writing for NANOWRIMO. Thank you again for reading and I hope to be back in December with another series of tales.


End file.
